Common Cover Letter Mistakes

By now you hopefully know that a cover letter is just as vital in your job search as your resume. A well-written cover letter helps to separate yourself from the rest of the pack, and gives you one-page to explain the bullet points of your resume and give your future employer a little more personal information.

With that said, the cover letter can also be your worst enemy. Writer Tom Arten gives a brief list of some of the pitfalls to avoid when penning your cover letter. Some of these include repeating yourself, using form cover letters, and forgetting to state which job you are applying for.

Just remember to take some time to craft an individualized, personal letter for each place your applying to and you’ll be filling up your new desk before you know it.

Magic Words for Resumes

For every job opening, employers have to sift through a mountain of resumes. If your resume doesn’t catch their eye after a quick read through, it will likely be wadded up and placed in the round file.

So how do you get your resume out of the slush pile? Like opening a stone door or making a person vanish into thin air, every resume needs help from magic words. No, not abracadabra or shazaam. The magic words I’m talking about are action words – words that show that you are well-rounded.

Here are a few of “must-have” words for your resume:

Teamwork: Teamwork is more important than ever in the workplace. The ability to work well with others to accomplish a common goal is vital for a harmonious workplace.

Flexibility: Employers value workers who are flexible and able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In other words, it's sometimes just as important to be a jack-of-all-trades as a master of one.

Detail-Oriented: Employers want to know that they can trust workers to handle a project down to the last detail. Being "detail-oriented" means being organized and meticulous about your work. It also implies that you can work without constant supervision and act independently.

Self-Motivated: Employers value employees who are self-starters. These workers can generate their own ideas and follow them through to fruition.

Interruptions - Everybody's Got 'Em

Everyone gets busy on the job. You’ll have a computer screen full of documents that you’re working on simultaneously, an inbox full of unread e-mails, three phone lines ringing, and someone standing impatiently in front of your desk.

Office technology makes everything seem more urgent. However, writer Anya Martin offers some concrete advice to pushing through the interruptions.

Martin suggests taking the following steps to putting the productivity back into your workday.

1. Prioritize
2. Be Polite
3. Silence Socializers
4. Turn Your Desk Around
5. Multitask
6. Do It Now
7. Turn It Off
8. Race Away from the Rush

Hopefully if you take these into consideration your day will be… hold on a second, the phone’s ringing.

One More Reason to Contact MetaTech

The reasons to contact MetaTech are apparent: access to great jobs, personal assistance along every step, and vast industry knowledge. So it’s no surprise that Business Week gives you one more reason to contact us. Jobs in the IT industry are flourishing and the leading city where these jobs continue to grow is right in MetaTech’s backyard – Seattle.

No other city matches the number and variety of IT careers that Seattle claims. So if you are lucky enough to already be a Seattleite or if your considering the move to this beautiful part of the country, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Think You're Underpaid? Good Luck Finding Out

You can’t talk about it. It’s extremely personal, awkward, and can severely damage relationships. No it’s not that. It’s how much money we make.

This topic has been taboo since I’m assuming the Stone Age (given that cavemen had water coolers in their offices to have such conversations around). However, if this topic is off limits, how do you know if you’re being underpaid at your current position? Sure, Ted started at the company when you did, has the same title, but how do you know that you’re making as much as him? If you ask, you risk creating some tension in an otherwise cordial relationship.

Well, Sam Grobart, senior editor at Money Magazine, has a few weapons to offer when it comes to confronting the situation of assessing the money issue. He suggests doing some online research into what the average income for your position is in your area – though he warns that these can be a bit inaccurate and shouldn’t be taken at face value.

He offers a few more pointers, but even then, I suggest navigating this minefield very carefully – and hopefully in the end all of your tip-toeing will pay off in your bank account.

Human Capital

Written By
Tom Parrish
MetaTech Sales Guy

“Ministers meet, work on the movement of goods
Also work on the movement of capital
Also work on the movement of human beings
As if we were so many cattle…”
“Grim Travelers”
Bruce Cockburn
Humans, 1980

So I was driving to work listening to Grim Travelers and got to thinking, don’t you sometimes wonder how the pseudo-experts came up with the pairing of the words Human and Capital? For me, this is like visually pairing the finest crystal swan – beautiful, rare, fragile beyond any one’s imagination and the Caterpillar 797B, the ultra-class mining truck deployed to the Ft. McMurray area of Alberta for tar-sands excavation. (visual depiction below)

Human


+

Capital


Now, don’t get me wrong…I get as turned on as the next guy at the thought of the application of modern operations research techniques to the problems of optimizing the human supply-chain, but really, doesn’t all this pseudo-expert drivel make you want to scream?!

=

Don't Get Drunk: And Other Networking Tips

We all know that networking events are one the most important ways of making connections that can benefit your career for years to come. However, a lot of people don’t understand the most basic truth of these events – sure it looks like a party, sounds like a party, even smells like a party – but it isn’t a party. You’re on the job.

As Miss Manners would say “Etiquette is Important,” and this article by Caroline Levchuck details the four most common mistakes people make at networking events.

I’ll let you head to that article if you’d like, but I’ll spend a few pixels laying out what, in my opinion, are the best and most crucial points.

1. Don’t Get Drunk: Just because the bar is open, doesn’t mean that you have to try to prove something. This is a professional event, not a social one, and you don’t want to do something that will not only alienate contacts, but might wind up on YouTube.
2. Dress Appropriately: Dress conservatively for the event. Show people that you are a professional (i.e. – don’t wear flip flops and a puka shell necklace).
3. Do Your Homework: Don’t arrive with nothing to say. If you do this, you’ll either be too quiet and you’ll go unnoticed or you’ll end up babbling incoherently. Either way, you’ll finish the night with a rolodex as desolate as an Old West ghost town.

Tips for First-Time Managers

Some may see it as a blessing, and others a curse, but at one point or another in your career you may find yourself in a management position. The best thing to do if you find yourself teetering on the top rung of the ladder is not to panic. Joyce LeMay, the department chair of business and human resource programs at St. Paul, college offers up some tips to thwart you from devolving into Bill Lumbergh in your new role.

According to LeMay, the key to thriving in each new position is to keep learning. "New managers need to be patient as they build their skill level in all areas of management," she says. "Mentors are key to improving the success of new managers." In addition to finding a mentor, LeMay also offers these words of advice.

• Take time to understand the business in which you are operating.
• Develop time-management skills.
• Practice active listening skills.
• Know how to motivate and lead employees.
• Continue your own training and development.
• Don’t stay isolated in the office.
• Don’t pretend you know all the answers.
• Don’t take all the credit.
• Don’t expect employees to be perfect.
• Learn to delegate effectively.

So, m’yeah, if you could just go ahead and follow this advice, that would be great… m’kay?

Does Volunteer Work Count as Work Experience?

For those of you big-hearted folks out there, you may find that the size of your volunteer credentials eclipses your actual work experience.

If this is true for you, Seton Hall University’s Director of Career Services, Jacqueline Chaffin has a few ideas.

She states that while you may feel that your altruistic endeavors aren’t something to necessary brag about, it’s perfectly alright to toot your own horn when it comes to interviewing for jobs – especially if you don’t have a lot of prior work experience in the bank. She states that “volunteer experiences are a great indication of one's passion, commitment, and dedication. All attributes that companies are looking for in new hires.”

Her article also covers the etiquette of starting a volunteer program at your place of employment, as well as asking colleagues for sponsorships for charitable walks and marathons.

Bad Interviewers

We’ve all had bad interviews in the past, but have you ever stopped to think – “wait a second, it’s not my fault… that interviewer was terrible.”

Well, at MetaTech you will be fortunate enough not to encounter this problem, but somewhere in your life you probably will – so I thought you might find this of interest.

Instead of paraphrasing the entire article, I’ll use a real life situation of mine with a bad interviewer, how I handled the situation, and how, according to Ms. Levchuck, I should have handled it.

This interview was at a small company (two employees) that shall remain nameless. It was very obvious, that being a small company, they didn’t have much experience in interviewing and handling job applicants – which led to a situation that was awkward at best.

The interview lasted around three hours, and I would say only about 20-30 minutes of that was dedicated to actual question and answering. The remaining time was filled with a cavernous, excruciating silence. I sat on the opposite side of the table looking at the two interviewers like a deer-in-the-headlights and they returned my gaze.
How I handled it: I sat there and waited for the questions. The only sound in the silence was the ticking minute hand of a clock… tick, tock, tick, tock.
How I should have handled it: I should have turned the tables on my interviewers and asked them questions. I should have asked them to describe the position in detail, explain to me the typical workday, and give me a run down of important tasks I was to work on. I should have asked them what they were looking for in the ideal candidate. But no, I just sat there and suffered.

When the interview wasn’t being overwhelmed by silence, it was being interjected with short, random, and dare I say, asinine questions. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the occasional, from-left-field, let’s-see-how-your-mind-works kind of question like, “how do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” but when I kept getting these things over and over again, I didn’t feel like I was getting my qualifications and skills across.
How I handled it: I told them that I like to toast the bread first.
How I should have handled it: I should have directly laid out what I wanted to say, even if the right time never presented itself. During an interview you only have a small window to make an impression, so if you aren’t going to be asked the important questions, you have to be prepared to blurt out the answers anyway.

As the interview ended, I had only seen the small back room, which guessing by the sour cream and orange soda smell, was a break room of sorts. I had not toured the office and seen exactly what happens and how things get done. I hadn’t bought myself more time.
How I handled it: I shook their hands and booked out the door.
How I should have handled it: I should have asked for a tour, and along the way asked more questions. The most important thing about the interview is to get a good gauge whether this is right for you, while at the same time making sure that your interviewer has a decent idea of who you are and what you bring to the table.

So alas I didn’t get the job. But for some reason, I can’t help but to think that it was for the best.

The Pitfalls of Social Networking

It’s hard to avoid the constant buzz surrounding social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook – some good and some very, very bad. Social networking can help you plan an event with your friends, get in contact with a long lost acquaintance, share pictures, videos, and more, but there is one crucial thing, according to Peter D. Weddle, that social networking can’t get you – a job.

It’s the word “networking” that makes this fact a little confusing. When we think of networking, it’s difficult not to conjure up images of sharply-dressed people hobnobbing over cocktails and slipping business cards into a new acquaintance’s blazer pocket. However, the danger lies in the word “social.” Prospective employers are not interested in what your sign is, which Friends character your personality most reflects, or want to see pictures of how much you drank at your college roommate’s bachelor party – no matter how prodigious said amount was.

In his article, Weddle does a good job scaring off people from using social networking sites to try to woo prospective employers and offering a nice selection of web-based “business” networking sites – but I believe that there are a few exceptions that you can consider to make your social networking page a little more employer friendly.

1. If you plan to use your social networking site as an online business card, for the love of Pete, take down any incriminating photos, videos, and or text. Imagine that your dear old grandmother is going to be looking over your page. How would you feel if she got an eyeful of your Spring Break in Puerta Vallarta last year? This also applies to your comments section. You have to be very vigilant about monitoring what your so-called friends write.
2. If you are interested in a career that requires a portfolio, use your page to show your abilities. Want to design video games? Showcase some of your artwork. Are you looking for a more technical-based career? How about creating a widget for your page that no one has ever seen?
3. Keep the layout modest. We’ve all seen the stereotypical MySpace page that looks as colorful and fragmented as the bedroom walls of a teenage girl. It doesn’t matter how much you love Miley Cyrus, if you plan to use your page to get a job, you don’t need a Hannah Montana icon shimmering in the center.

I’m curious… does anyone have any good/bad stories about using social networking to find a job? Any suggestions or tips?

Interviews Gone Wrong

Remember the show “Kids say the Darndest Things?” Well, if only Art Linkletter was present at the following interviews. Here are a few gems from serious job applicants as submitted by members of the Monster.com community:

“We are a small sporting-goods distributor, and we recently received an application from a gentleman trying to impress us with his dedication to the 'field.' His stated goal? 'To ski 365 days-a-year.' Wonder when he was planning to work.”

“While interviewing a candidate, I noticed he had checked 'yes' when asked if he'd ever been convicted of a felony, but no details were listed. When I asked my candidate, he said, 'Well, it is really old.' I asked how old, and he said, 'Thirty-three years ago, but I haven't been in any trouble since.' I said, 'Oh, that is old.' I then asked what the conviction was for; his response was 'murder one.' I asked if he had served any time, and he said yes, 33 years. Apparently he had just been released two weeks prior, which may explain why he hadn't been in trouble since.”

“As a recruiter, I occasionally encounter previous employees interested in returning to the company. A young man called me one day to explain that he had been a fantastic employee two years prior, and that he had been fired by accident: 'I didn't mean to hit the other guy over the head with a mop! Really, it just slipped and hit him twice!' Rehire? I think not.”

Transitioning from Military Life to Professional Life

With the fourth of July only a few days away, I was beginning to reflect on the meaning behind the fireworks and the barbecues, and I thought that this posting was more than appropriate.

If you are finding yourself transitioning from military life to work life, you might find it difficult honing all of your skills and experiences down into a focused resume or a targeted job search.

At MetaTech, we know that you are more than ink on a resume, and we’d love to work with you to help you land the civilian technical job that you're looking for.

However, if you are still unsure about how to transition, I found a very good site specifically tailored toward veterans. Not only will you find resume writing and interview tips, you’ll also be able to read profiles of veterans who have recently successfully made the move from military life to professional life.

Suffering from Commuter Shock?

We all know that nowadays going to fill up at the gas pump is the equivalent of grudgingly asking mixed-martial artist Randy Couture to punch you in the gut and then place you into a submission-inducing headlock. But if you have to commute to work, and carpooling and public transportation aren’t possible, you really have no other choice but to close your eyes and take the hit.

In a recent survey by the staffing firm Robert Half International (RHI), almost half of U.S. professionals (44%) said higher gas prices are affecting their commutes, up from 34% two years ago. However, employers, for the most part, aren’t turning a blind eye to the staggering fuel prices. The RHI report also states that companies are rolling out incentives that include a flexible work schedule (26%), telecommuting (18%), and public transit discounts (14%).

Are you thinking, “how do I get a job that does that?” Well, how about contacting MetaTech and letting us work to find a career that is perfect for you – both professionally and personally. However, if you are happy with your job for now, there are a few things you can do to convince your employer about adopt fuel-friendly policies:

• Check with Human Resources. "Ask your HR rep if there are existing [commuter assistance] policies, because there may well be, even if they aren't widely recognized," says Alexandra Levit, author of "How'd You Score That Gig? A Guide to the Coolest Careers and How to Get Them." Your request may also prompt HR to take action, as the business case for such incentives is strong, Levit says.
• Highlight the upside for the company. "You should put a positive spin on your request to the boss or to HR," says Liz Bywater, president of the Bywater Consulting Group, which helps improve organizational performance. "Companies that offer such incentives may be seen as environmentally conscious and employee-friendly. And remember that your employer would rather have you ask for this than ask for a raise or quit because you can't afford to commute," adds Levit.
• Check with your city. Local agencies may offer transportation incentive programs that employers can tap, according to Terry Pile, president of Career Advisors and author of "Working in Your Slippers: Is Telecommuting Right for You? Some cities require large employers to reduce the number of cars on their campuses by a certain percentage and provide them with assistance in putting together an alternative commuting program," she says.
• Make a proposal. "You could put together a cost analysis in support of telecommuting one or two days a week," Pile says, adding that studies have shown that telecommuting saves employers on parking and office space, productivity, and absentee costs. "If the employer can see a positive impact on the bottom line, you'll get better reception for a telecommuting program." Pile's advice may work for other programs, such as carpooling or flexible schedules.
• Control what you can. Even if your employer is not receptive to changing, find ways to increase your savings and efficiency. "Look at how you might save on gas outside of work by planning your errands efficiently, and walking or taking public transit when you can," says Pile. "You must find a way to live with the situation without anxiety," Levit concludes. "If you're strapped for cash, balance things out by taking away one expense you can tolerate -- such as dining out one meal per week. The increase in fuel costs is a hardship, no doubt, but it's not the same dire scenario as being unemployed or facing bankruptcy."

… And if none of these tips work you can always try your hand (or I guess it would be your feet) at commuting via roller shoes.