I'm not job hunting myself, but was curious to see what tips y'all would provide somebody you know is looking around. Perhaps this can be a reference for those of you who are. No need to nitpick others tips or be too specific, just looking for general nuggets of advice somebody should consider.

Mine is to not be deterred from contacting a company you're interested in working for even if they don't have a position listed. Sometimes they might be looking to fill roles they haven't necessarily 'advertised' yet. I know I've contacted some fellow Ags that appreciated me reaching out and enjoyed answering any questions I had.

The one topic I can't ever provide good advice on is cover letters.

I have done a lot of job searching and a lot of interviewing. I've never once applied through an HR dept. I go straight to the partners or principals in a firm. But that's how my business works.

1. I have a pretty standard package, on a custom letterhead, that includes the following: a)cover letter, b)resume, c)project experience, d)portfolio. These are sent in individual PDFs so they can choose what and what not to look at. I don't usually tailor my materials to each company, so I'm not out a lot of time if they don't look or read something. My resume has lots of white space. If they interview me, I bring my list of references with me to the interview.

2. At the interview I arrive 5 minutes early. Typically dress in a suit and tie. I bring everything I've sent them and come with a list of standard questions and then another list of questions specifically for their firm/company. I ask for business cards from each person in the interview.

3. After an interview (and any subsequent interviews) I always follow up with an email before the end of the day and address it to the person who scheduled the interview. I do not try to "sell" them on me. I simply thank them for their time, make a reference or two to talking points in our interview ("hey I enjoyed hearing about project such-and-such"), and offer to be available for any questions they may have. I keep it very brief.

4. When asked for desired salary I always give a range. By this time I'll know what the rest of the compensation package is. Most offers have been via email so I'm not under pressure to accept on the spot. If an offer is made I politely thank them, tell them if I have competing offers and when I intend to make a decision. If I want to negotiate (and I almost always do) I will usually call rather than email.

5. When I accept the job I send a small email with acceptance letter attached. If I decline, I send a similar email/letter.

That's pretty much it.

Quote:

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1 page front and back at the absolute most.

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LOL... you print a resume?

ea1060 said:

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Cover letters are a dying breed and a waste of time. Ive hired thousands of people in my HR career and have never read one cover letter. Most candidates dont even include one in their application.

Save your energy and focus on other things with your job search.

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This. I've been a recruiter for over 22 years and the only time I've ever read a cover letter was when someone else did and it was funny.

Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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ea1060 said:

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Cover letters are a dying breed and a waste of time. Ive hired thousands of people in my HR career and have never read one cover letter. Most candidates dont even include one in their application.

Save your energy and focus on other things with your job search.

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This. I've been a recruiter for over 22 years and the only time I've ever read a cover letter was when someone else did and it was funny.

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This. I see so many people worried about cover letters and I always tell them it doesnt matter.

Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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Quote:

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1 page front and back at the absolute most.

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LOL... you print a resume?

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Lmao. Rarely. Let me rephrase. Don't clutter up your resume with useless crap.

Big Johnson Ag said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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Quote:

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1 page front and back at the absolute most.

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LOL... you print a resume?

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Lmao. Rarely. Let me rephrase. Don't clutter up your resume with useless crap.

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As some one who has recruited multiple industries and fields, it really depends. Technology? You need every skill you have.

Sale? Accomplishments. What you sold. Anx to whom.

I'll say the biggest thing for me was getting into an industry I WANTED to be in. For me, that was Ag. I found the right fit quickly. Over the course of a phone interview and a lunch the deal was done.

Maybe an old-school piece of advice, but it always bugged me when I would call candidates on the number they gave me, and they'd answer while in line at Starbucks or something.

There's nothing less professional than telling a prospective employer to "hold on a second" while you finish ordering your latte.

If you are actively looking for a job and you've given your number out to lots of employers, don't answer any unrecognized number unless you can actually focus and talk uninterrupted about the job. You can always call someone back after you've gotten your coffee.

Might be less of a thing now with Zoom and Teams interviews. But still ...

Let's say for the sake of discussion that no one reads your cover letter.
Was the time developing a real, focused cover letter
(not some hack/ standardized cover letter and referencing the referral from their Team member)
worth the effort to help you understand how you relate to their jobs and their needs?

78bc3 said:

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Let's say for the sake of discussion that no one reads your cover letter.
Was the time developing a real, focused cover letter
(not some hack/ standardized cover letter and referencing the referral from their Team member)
worth the effort to help you understand how you relate to their jobs and their needs?

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Probably not since most of the time, NO ONE is going to read your cover letter.

Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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EclipseAg said:

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Maybe an old-school piece of advice, but it always bugged me when I would call candidates on the number they gave me, and they'd answer while in line at Starbucks or something.

There's nothing less professional than telling a prospective employer to "hold on a second" while you finish ordering your latte.

If you are actively looking for a job and you've given your number out to lots of employers, don't answer any unrecognized number unless you can actually focus and talk uninterrupted about the job. You can always call someone back after you've gotten your coffee.

Might be less of a thing now with Zoom and Teams interviews. But still ...

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That's pretty pedantic of you. If you're calling someone without an arranged call, and they're in the middle of something, that bothers you?

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No. It bothered me when they didn't stop what they were doing. As I said, it's old-school advice, but I still believe you shouldn't waste a potential employer's time while you are obviously engaged with some other task.

What's the harm in letting it go to voice mail and calling later when you're not in the checkout line at Target? Or saying "I can't talk now ... can I call you back in 10 minutes?"

Edit to add: The weed-out process often hinges on very pedantic issues. Telephone etiquette is certainly one.

EclipseAg said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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EclipseAg said:

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Maybe an old-school piece of advice, but it always bugged me when I would call candidates on the number they gave me, and they'd answer while in line at Starbucks or something.

There's nothing less professional than telling a prospective employer to "hold on a second" while you finish ordering your latte.

If you are actively looking for a job and you've given your number out to lots of employers, don't answer any unrecognized number unless you can actually focus and talk uninterrupted about the job. You can always call someone back after you've gotten your coffee.

Might be less of a thing now with Zoom and Teams interviews. But still ...

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That's pretty pedantic of you. If you're calling someone without an arranged call, and they're in the middle of something, that bothers you?

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No. It bothered me when they didn't stop what they were doing. As I said, it's old-school advice, but I still believe you shouldn't waste a potential employer's time while you are obviously engaged with some other task. What's the harm in letting it go to voice mail and calling later when you're not in the checkout line at Target?

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Sometimes people have to take calls. But, you're right, anyone in general that doesn't stop what they're doing and answer the phone are kinds *****y.

FightinTexasAg15 said:

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My best advice is don't give up. You're not going to get every job you apply for or maybe even the one you want the most. Sometimes jobs are going to drop in your lap, and other times it's going to be a struggle, but if you keep at it and give each submission/interview your all it will work out eventually. It's fine to be disappointed when things don't work out, but don't let that take away from putting in the effort the next time

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Agreed. Its a numbers game sometimes. I got laid off last year and it took me 3-4 months to find another job. NO ONE was hiring at all, and it seemed pointless to apply for jobs because I wasnt getting any call backs. But I just kept on persisting and finally landed something from a referral from another friend.

ea1060 said:

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EclipseAg said:

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Maybe an old-school piece of advice, but it always bugged me when I would call candidates on the number they gave me, and they'd answer while in line at Starbucks or something.

There's nothing less professional than telling a prospective employer to "hold on a second" while you finish ordering your latte.

If you are actively looking for a job and you've given your number out to lots of employers, don't answer any unrecognized number unless you can actually focus and talk uninterrupted about the job. You can always call someone back after you've gotten your coffee.

Might be less of a thing now with Zoom and Teams interviews. But still ...

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What do you expect, the candidate to just stay at home and wait for your call all day? In your example, the starbucks guy had no idea you were calling him, so why hold it against him for answering while getting a coffee.

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Wait ... don't tell me. You're the guy in the Starbucks line, right? Did your latte turn out okay? I didn't mind waiting while you conversed with the barista.

I'm just kidding.

I don't hire people any more. But when I did, I had a couple of situations where people absent-mindedly answered and tried to talk with me when they clearly shouldn't have. I won't bore you with the details, but there's some funny stories there (that ended with them not getting an offer). That's all I'm saying.

tl/dr: Job seekers should use a little common sense and protect themselves from irritating a prospective employer. It's perfectly okay to say "I can't talk now. When's a good time to call you back?"

infinity ag said:

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Recruiters say that they don't have time to spend more than 10 seconds on a resume and folks here think they will spend time reading a cover letter which has the usual generic things? I don't attach one unless it is mandatory to.

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10 seconds is about right.

Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Recruiters say that they don't have time to spend more than 10 seconds on a resume and folks here think they will spend time reading a cover letter which has the usual generic things? I don't attach one unless it is mandatory to.

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10 seconds is about right.

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Agreed. If I have 100 resumes to review per job posting, then for sure I wont read any of the cover letters, and I wont spend more than 10 seconds on a resume. It takes forever to go through 100 resumes.

ea1060 said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Recruiters say that they don't have time to spend more than 10 seconds on a resume and folks here think they will spend time reading a cover letter which has the usual generic things? I don't attach one unless it is mandatory to.

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10 seconds is about right.

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Agreed. If I have 100 resumes to review per job posting, then for sure I wont read any of the cover letters, and I wont spend more than 10 seconds on a resume. It takes forever to go through 100 resumes.

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I've been recruiting for 23 years now. Only professional job I have ever had.

I can count on one had the number of resumes I've read word for word. And typically those are very short.

Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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ea1060 said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Recruiters say that they don't have time to spend more than 10 seconds on a resume and folks here think they will spend time reading a cover letter which has the usual generic things? I don't attach one unless it is mandatory to.

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10 seconds is about right.

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Agreed. If I have 100 resumes to review per job posting, then for sure I wont read any of the cover letters, and I wont spend more than 10 seconds on a resume. It takes forever to go through 100 resumes.

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I've been recruiting for 23 years now. Only professional job I have ever had.

I can count on one had the number of resumes I've read word for word. And typically those are very short.

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You may be the right person to ask this. I am in Product Management and have 23 years in total experience (in software) of which 11 years as a PM. I am at the Sr Manager level, it's really hard in my city to move up so I am trying remote jobs and planning to move to the West Coast next year.
How many pages should my resume be? My current one is 3 pages.

I'll agree with the others that have said you shouldn't take a call if you're not in a position to have an uninterrupted conversation.

If I'm in the middle of a job search, I will screen unknown numbers and let them go to voicemail if I'm not in the best position to hold a conversation, whether that be because I'm at my current employer's office or running an errand.

Once I listen to the voicemail and confirm it's for a potential job, I will make time to leave the office or finish an errand and then give them a call back so I can give them my full attention and answer any questions they may have.

infinity ag said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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ea1060 said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Recruiters say that they don't have time to spend more than 10 seconds on a resume and folks here think they will spend time reading a cover letter which has the usual generic things? I don't attach one unless it is mandatory to.

---

10 seconds is about right.

---

Agreed. If I have 100 resumes to review per job posting, then for sure I wont read any of the cover letters, and I wont spend more than 10 seconds on a resume. It takes forever to go through 100 resumes.

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I've been recruiting for 23 years now. Only professional job I have ever had.

I can count on one had the number of resumes I've read word for word. And typically those are very short.

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You may be the right person to ask this. I am in Product Management and have 23 years in total experience (in software) of which 11 years as a PM. I am at the Sr Manager level, it's really hard in my city to move up so I am trying remote jobs and planning to move to the West Coast next year.
How many pages should my resume be? My current one is 3 pages.

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Unless a resume is ridiculously long, I wouldn't bat an eye on a 3 page resume. Some people would. It's preference. That being said, you might want to cut it down to the last 10 years as you're getting up there in age. Do not include your graduation year either.

EclipseAg said:

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Maybe an old-school piece of advice, but it always bugged me when I would call candidates on the number they gave me, and they'd answer while in line at Starbucks or something.

There's nothing less professional than telling a prospective employer to "hold on a second" while you finish ordering your latte.

If you are actively looking for a job and you've given your number out to lots of employers, don't answer any unrecognized number unless you can actually focus and talk uninterrupted about the job. You can always call someone back after you've gotten your coffee.

Might be less of a thing now with Zoom and Teams interviews. But still ...

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I've spoken to 2 people, that picked the time to talk to me, who were doing something else. One guy was in Costco shopping and picking up his contact lenses, the other was checking out at the grocery store. Both unemployed.

I did have someone say he could call me back as a customer who he needs to talk to was calling him. He'll more than likely move on. The others....who knows.

Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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ea1060 said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Recruiters say that they don't have time to spend more than 10 seconds on a resume and folks here think they will spend time reading a cover letter which has the usual generic things? I don't attach one unless it is mandatory to.

---

10 seconds is about right.

---

Agreed. If I have 100 resumes to review per job posting, then for sure I wont read any of the cover letters, and I wont spend more than 10 seconds on a resume. It takes forever to go through 100 resumes.

---

I've been recruiting for 23 years now. Only professional job I have ever had.

I can count on one had the number of resumes I've read word for word. And typically those are very short.

---

You may be the right person to ask this. I am in Product Management and have 23 years in total experience (in software) of which 11 years as a PM. I am at the Sr Manager level, it's really hard in my city to move up so I am trying remote jobs and planning to move to the West Coast next year.
How many pages should my resume be? My current one is 3 pages.

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Unless a resume is ridiculously long, I wouldn't bat an eye on a 3 page resume. Some people would. It's preference. That being said, you might want to cut it down to the last 10 years as you're getting up there in age. Do not include your graduation year either.

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I have removed the years except for my last degree which I got in 2009. Is that okay?
I have info on my last 10 years but have only a 1 line per job mention from 1998. That is about 4 jobs in 4 lines. Or should I take them out?

There is a job I did for 8 months in 2015, did not really do much there so it's not in my main section but in my secondary section. Should I take it out completely?

infinity ag said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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ea1060 said:

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Kevin the 3-legged dog said:

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infinity ag said:

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Recruiters say that they don't have time to spend more than 10 seconds on a resume and folks here think they will spend time reading a cover letter which has the usual generic things? I don't attach one unless it is mandatory to.

---

10 seconds is about right.

---

Agreed. If I have 100 resumes to review per job posting, then for sure I wont read any of the cover letters, and I wont spend more than 10 seconds on a resume. It takes forever to go through 100 resumes.

---

I've been recruiting for 23 years now. Only professional job I have ever had.

I can count on one had the number of resumes I've read word for word. And typically those are very short.

---

You may be the right person to ask this. I am in Product Management and have 23 years in total experience (in software) of which 11 years as a PM. I am at the Sr Manager level, it's really hard in my city to move up so I am trying remote jobs and planning to move to the West Coast next year.
How many pages should my resume be? My current one is 3 pages.

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Unless a resume is ridiculously long, I wouldn't bat an eye on a 3 page resume. Some people would. It's preference. That being said, you might want to cut it down to the last 10 years as you're getting up there in age. Do not include your graduation year either.

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I have removed the years except for my last degree which I got in 2009. Is that okay?
I have info on my last 10 years but have only a 1 line per job mention from 1998. That is about 4 jobs in 4 lines. Or should I take them out?

There is a job I did for 8 months in 2015, did not really do much there so it's not in my main section but in my secondary section. Should I take it out completely?

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I'd have to see it but it sounds ok. I'd take out an 8 month job that's not relevant.
My resume goes back 2 jobs, 15 years.