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Creating good business requirements will go a long way towards ensuring the success of the project and eliminate design and development risks that result from poor business requirements documentation. Here are the Top 10 Tips for Writing Good Business Requirements:

1. Develop a clear understanding of the problems that the proposed software is being designed to solve. This will ensure that the subsequent business requirements document addresses those problems fully.

2. Identify all project stakeholders and involve them in the business requirements gathering process from the start. Work to build trust and establish credibility early on so you can maintain stakeholder support throughout the project. Learn the individual personality traits of each stakeholder in order to be able to better manage them during the requirements phase of the project.

3. Clearly document all business data including workflow, current problems, anticipated risks, and required performance metrics. Use project-approved tools and methodologies to ensure that the documentation conforms to the client’s requirements.

4. Use approved templates for all documentation. Ensure that terms used throughout all documentation either exist in the project dictionary or are added as required. No one reading the business requirements document should encounter unfamiliar terms that cannot be quickly resolved by reviewing the project dictionary.

5. Identify potential privacy and security issues early on so these problems can be mitigated to a level which satisfies the stakeholders that these risks have been managed properly. This helps to build trust and ensures that stakeholders remain committed to the project.

6. Make a concerted effort to identify and document all risks, the impact of these risks on the project’s costs and timetable. This will avoid unexpected project delays as well as help control runaway costs.

7. Conduct both group and one-on-one meetings to insure that all business requirements, risks and concerns are identified.

8. Present a draft of the business requirements document to key stakeholders for preliminary review and tentative approval. This helps to ensure that the final business requirements document will be more easily accepted by all stakeholders when it is presented.

9. Rewrite the draft business requirements document to address any issues discovered during step #8. This may requires repeating the stakeholder meeting process until you are sure that all issues have been identified and documented.

10. Present the completed business requirements document to all stakeholders in a formal meeting. Take notes in order to maintain the collective project memory and be ready to address any issues or concerns which may be raised.

Niall Kennedy is an internet marketing consultant. Positive is a UK provider of professional Business Analysis. Contact Positive at http://www.Be-Positive.co.uk for more information about Requirements Documentation.

All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. Copyright Be-Positive.co.uk

All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. Copyright Be-Positive.co.uk

Writing a cover letter to send with your résumé can be both confusing and frustrating. What exactly should you say? Are you saying too much? Are you only speaking about your needs vs. the company’s needs? Oh, what to do! In this “short” piece, I will list some ideas on how to craft your cover letter. I have also provided some important links — for additional assistance — particularly if you find yourself still needing outside help.

Basics

* Make sure you use exactly the same type of paper you use for your résumé. White with white is best, business paper is strongly advised, especially paper containing 100% cotton. Cheap 20 lb. copier paper is a terrible idea!

* A matching business envelope {#10} is acceptable. Tri-fold your copies separately; when you place the cover letter inside the envelope, make sure that the letter is shown first [when you lift the flap of the envelope up] followed by your résumé. Fold it so that your name and contact information is the first thing the recruiter sees. If you choose to use a kraft envelope make sure that is no smaller than 9×12 or bigger than 10×13. Place an attractive computer generated label on it with your return address shown appropriately. If you must write on it, PRINT your information and do not be fancy. Remember: you want the post office and the company’s mailroom to be able to read what you wrote! Otherwise, important time may be lost in the process.

* If you are emailing your information make sure that the job listing stipulates that attachments are okay. If not, don’t you dare send attachments! Instead, within the body of an email message you can write your cover letter [a brief introduction] and then cut and paste your résumé. I cannot tell you how many files never get read when the person does not do as instructed. You can also follow up and mail in a hard [paper] copy if an address is provided.

Beginnings

* Match the header on your résumé with the header on your cover letter. They can and do get separated! An example header should look like this:

* Include your personal website address only if that information is valuable. If you host a site that is weird, inflammatory, adult oriented, or otherwise controversial, simply do not expect any response from the company.

* Put today’s date on the cover letter.

* Next, include your contact’s information, which can include:

Ms. Ellen Snow
Human Resources Coordinator
FlyByNight Aviation, Inc.
1234 Orville Wright Lane
Serendipity, NC 27776

* Your salutation comes next and should look like this

– Dear Ms. Snow:

Body

* Keep in mind that your cover letter must not be lengthy. You can say all that must be said in no more than three, maybe four, brief paragraphs.

* Here is a sample:

Attached, please find a copy of my résumé for your review. I am interested in the position of corporate flight attendant listed online at www.flybynight.com.

I believe my three years of international flying experience along with my culinary background and language skills makes me the ideal candidate to serve FlyByNight’s distinguished clientele. Currently, I work as an independent contractor and have flown to top destinations in Europe as well as throughout the U.S. and Canada. FlyByNight’s need for a dependable, trained, and highly experienced team player is exactly the type of position I desire.

I look forward to meeting with you in person to discuss your particular needs and how I can help FlyByNight successfully carry out its mission as the best operator of private jets in the world. Feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience; I can be reached at 919-555-1212 or by on cell phone at 919-555-1213.

Byes

* Sincerely,

Jane Doe

Leave 3-4 lines from your “Sincerely” to your name. Your closing shouldn’t include other words including Regards [too plain], Cheers! [too British], Love [too personal], etc. Remember, this is a business letter.

In summation, keep it short and specific. Have three or four main points you can emphasize about your strengths, particularly, those points which match with the points listed by the company in their job details. In this particular case the candidate emphasized her culinary, language, and international travel experience, as well as her availability. All four points were stressed in the company’s job listing which read:

“…international jet operator is searching for an experienced cabin attendant. This position involves serving our on demand charter clients from east coast locations to destinations in the U.S. and abroad. Must have exceptional food service skills. Current training with FACTS, FlightSafety or similar training vendor; French or Spanish language skills: a plus…

You cannot avoid talking about yourself, but you can control how you talk about yourself.

Do not…

1. …beg for an interview.

2. …mention money or benefits. If the job listing “demands” that you list your salary requirements, simply state that salary is negotiable.

3. …overly boast about your skills: think about what the company’s needs are, do you think they care that you were the recipient of an NBAA scholarship? It is, however, okay to list scholarship awards on your résumé.

4. …name drop. Unless, you already come highly recommended by someone they know and like. Your mentor may be well known in this industry, but not universally liked. You can use them on your list of references, however.

March 21, 2005

Ms. Ellen Snow
Human Resources Coordinator
FlyByNight Aviation, Inc.
1234 Orville Wright Lane
Serendipity, NC 27776

Re: Corporate Flight Attendant Opening [this is optional, but it can be helpful especially if the company has multiple openings available.]

Dear Ms. Snow:

Attached, please find a copy of my résumé for your review. I am interested in the position of corporate flight attendant listed online at www.flybynight.com.

I believe my three years of international flying experience along with my culinary background and language skills makes me the ideal candidate to serve FlyByNight’s distinguished clientele. Currently, I work as an independent contractor and have flown to top destinations in Europe as well as throughout the U.S. and Canada. FlyByNight’s need for a dependable, trained, and highly experienced team player is exactly the type of position I desire.

I look forward to meeting with you in person to discuss your particular needs and how I can help FlyByNight successfully carry out its mission as the best operator of private jets in the world. Feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience; I can be reached at 919-555-1212 or by on cell phone at 919-555-1213.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

Matt manages the Corporate Flight Attendant Community, the #1 resource center for business flight attendants online. You can visit his at http://www.corporateflyer.net or go to the message boards directly at http://www.cabinmanagers.com

How do you think employers select a resume for inviting a job applicant for an interview? They choose based on personal appearance and disposition, the way a person communicates, and by skills, knowledge and experience. How can skills, knowledge and experience be ascertained? Resumes are key. They show an employer what you’ve done, how long you’ve done it, and whether it pertains to the open position.

First of all, the job applicant must give their contact address along with their email, as the first point of contact. Later, the job applicant needs to explain their skill set, apart from their level of education, awareness about various processes associated with the job, and other details. While giving personal details, the candidate must keep in mind the need for giving all the information in a clear manner and explaining the reasons behind seeking a better job. The lucid explanation follows a top down order. However, lying about educational qualifications will disqualify the candidate in the first round.

Apart from this, attention should be given to providing samples about extracurricular achievements, such as sport and music. This will give a fuller profile of a candidate. Similarly, the job applicant must focus on giving details on how their additional qualifications were acquired. Such details naturally make the resume readable, and it also makes the presentation of information easy during interviews. Applicants for technical jobs must explain what projects they worked on while in college.

Have patience and give full details of your qualifications without any false information. A strong resume will help to get the required placement easily.

Job Descriptions provides detailed information on job descriptions, accounting job descriptions, free resume-writing tips, how to write a resume and more. Job Descriptions is affiliated with Executive Job Search.

Many poor people who had hip revision used in their hip replacement surgeries are discovering that there are difficulties that far exceed the normal expectations for recuperation. These people are experiencing a lot of additional pain for longer time periods, facing revision surgical operations and elevated medical costs, and losing revenue by not physically being able to work at their official businesses. Although Zimmer Holdings, Inc. is claiming that that their hip cup implant is in no way flawed and say it is not their fault for the faililng hip implants, many implant recipients are filing lawsuits against them and receiving settlements.

Sometime during October, 2008 Zimmer announced that it had reserved $47.5 million to pay for claims they had filed against them and received. Many docs are not convinced that the hip device is not the problem as the company has publicly stated. In Point Of Fact, when Zimmer offered up online training to surgeons in order to instruct them what was supposedly more accurate techniques for performing the implant surgical operation, approximately half of the doctors refused to participate. Hence, the entire situation remains to be irritating for all doctors involved, but none more than the hundreds of unfortunate people who are expecting revision surgical procedure because of the problems with their implant not staying tight in the socket.

These suffering unfortunate people definitely deserve some help and restitution which is why product liability lawyers are telling them to file a lawsuit. dorum hip has been paying out of court for some of these claims. Still, even if the settlement they are being offered sounds like a fair amount, in most cases implant recipients are deciding too fast and with no provision or allowance being made for on-going troubles if they return. If they don’t wait to find out what an actual case is worth, people might find themselves incurring alot more expenses from their own personal assets when further issues or pain return.

If your orthopedic doctor updates you with bad news that you will definitely have to undergo a revision surgical procedure to resolve your Zimmer Durom hip replacement device, contact an attorney immediately.

Once your attorney determines that you have a case, be ready to wait in order to get the best settlement that you could possible get. Take the advice your attorney offers you and don’t demand speedy restitution. Being patient at this stage of the case can pay off vs. just rushing the process.

Only one of every 5 businesses makes it to its 5th year, and fewer still make it to 10 years. What do the successful businesses have in common?

1. The experience and skills of the top managers. Over half of business failures are directly related to managerial incompetence.

2. The energy, persistence and resourcefulness (the will to make the business succeed) of the top managers. Many business owners have failed or come close several times before their “instant” success. Don’t give up.

3. A product that is at least a cut above the competition and service that doesn’t get in the way of people buying. There must be a compelling reason to buy; the product is great, the people love to provide service, and the buying experience is easy and fun.

4. The ability to create a “buzz” around the product with aggressive and strategic marketing. Make scarce marketing resources count. Do as much homework about your customers and their choices as you can before investing your marketing dollars.

5. Deal-making skills to sell the product at the highest possible price given your market. It comes down to your customers’ perception of the value of your product and sometimes the power of your personality.

6. The ability to keep developing new products to retain and build a customer base. Consider gradual product development based on improvements to the current product line and sold to the current customer base.

7. Deal-making skills to work with resource suppliers to keep costs low. Keeping costs lower than competitors’ and continuing to look for cost reductions even when the business is profitable is key.

8. The maturity to treat employees, suppliers and partners fairly and respectfully. Trust and respect result in productivity increases in ways that may be difficult to see and quantify.

9. Superior location and/or promotion creating a connection between your product and where it can be obtained. Studies have shown it can take seeing your product or name seven times before a customer is ready to buy.

10. A steady source of business during both good economic times and downturns. Over the long term, develop a product mix that will include winners during good economic times and other winners when times are tough.

About The Author

Jan B. King is the former President & CEO of Merritt Publishing, a top 50 woman-owned and run business in Los Angeles and the author of Business Plans to Game Plans: A Practical System for Turning Strategies into Action (John Wiley & Sons, 2004). She has helped hundreds of businesses with her book and her ebooks, The Do-It-Yourself Business Plan Workbook, and The Do-It-Yourself Game Plan Workbook. See www.janbking.com for more information.

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the byline is included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

janbking0191@sbcglobal.net

I am a recruiter with 30 years experience reading, critiquing and submitting resumes of candidates for positions with my client companies. In a few cases I can talk about a candidate to my client hiring authority long enough to get an interview for the person. Most of the time I get this simple reply: send me his or her resume and I will look it over. The resume is the document most responsible for your career advancement, employment or unemployment as the case may be. It must be perfect in every respect.

Perfection in every respect means just that. Your vocabulary, spelling, font, margins, type face, and other compositional items must suit the intended usage and reader’s expectations. It must look equally good on their computer or printed out on paper. It should come through their posting programs intact and it must fit into both the PC and the Mac worlds.

Some canned resume preparation programs or subroutines within Microsoft Word and other text production software programs such as Resume Perfect are good. Most are not. You really should start with a blank document on your screen and compose your resume yourself. Otherwise you will end up with construction artifacts that are nearly impossible to remove. One example of this is text boxes. Some programs insist on adding text boxes and frames to resumes as if they would be displayed as a web page.

Sometimes you may want a web presence for your resume. Mostly, it is a waste of time. Few companies will go to the trouble of bringing it up, and if they did like it they would still have to download it and save it. And you do not know what format they would save it in. Stick with a text format, and don’t use boxes.

Many people use bullets or asterisks to highlight lists of items. Unfortunately the bullets are lost in transmission to other machines through data entry sites. The migration to a text display program causes them to appear as strange characters such as %20 or ^20. Surely you don’t want your carefully worded document to start every line with a %20. This problem can be avoided by not using any special characters in your resume. Stick with text only.

Font size can also be a problem. Too small a font size will cause the reader to have to expand the resume on their screen and lead to parts being off to the side that will require side to side scrolling. This is a waste of time. You do not want your hiring authority to have to display your resume at 150% to be able to read it.

Conversely, I have seen numerous resumes with the name of the person at the top show’s up in 20 point type. That truly looks ridiculous. Save that headline type for when you win the Nobel Prize.

I usually prefer Courier New as a type face. Others are probably as good, but I got used to it as a carryover from typed resumes. Probably many senior hiring authorities are trained the same way and expect a similar type face. Don’t use any ultra modern typeface.

Many composition programs such as Word have a spelling and grammar checking function. Checking is one way to identify questionable sentence construction and spelling. Remember however, it’s only a check, not a totally accurate solution. You must verify each suggested change with your own examination and investigation.

Take a look at the “Properties” tool in the “File” menu in Microsoft Word. This information is lodged inside your resume file whenever you send it out. You might be shocked at what you see there. Previous users of your word processing program may have information there that you do not want to send along with your resume. It’s not exactly a virus, but data that is not known for its’ accuracy. I look at that material on every resume just as a little background check on my candidate’s thoroughness.

You can test some of these parameters with your email friends. Send them your resume; let them take a look at it on their screens and computers. Send one to an associate with a data entry web page or blog site. Print it on your printer and pin it up on the wall and look at it from 20 feet away. How does it compare to some others that you undoubtedly have read over the years. And,download some resumes off the web and take a look at your competition’s efforts. How does yours stack up?

Send my firm a copy and I will critique it and give you some comments for free. It’s kind of fun for me, and I think you might find it valuable in your search for a better job.

Dan Brockman
www.trainingjob.com

Dan Brockman is a professional recruiter in Barrington, Illinois. His firm http://www.trainingjob.com is a source for talented individual’s job search. His client companies pay the fees. He is the author of numerous articles on job hunting, resumes, interviewing and negotiating salaries.

A NEW YEAR IS BEGINNING NOW – THE SCHOOL YEAR.

Whether you have children attending for the first time or
finishing university, it Is always hectic to get into the
back-to-school routine. And, if you do not have school in your
family, there might be your own remembrance of the
excitement of starting afresh and learning something new.

This is a great time to review your trade show program in
the same way you prepare for school.

PICK YOUR SCHOOL = INDUSTRY

A business school question – Are you a railroad or a
transportation company? In other words, what business are
you in? If you consider your industry a railroad, you will be
concerned with rolling stock, laying track and logistics. If you
consider your industry to be transportation, you will
consider the railroad as a method of transportation – the
same principles apply whether you run rail cars or
airplanes. There is an engine, a carrier compartment, and
now most importantly, cutomer focus. Railroads have to lay
track, airlines have to have airfields, so there is difficulty in
physically moving to meet customer demand. But railroads
adapted by allowing piggybacking – truck trailers on flatbed
rail cars. Airlines serve more markets with the hub and
spoke system. You should look deeply into your own
industry and determine customer focus for the next 12
weeks and 12 months.

PICK YOUR CLASSES = SHOWS

While your firm is part of an Industry, in times of unsettled
business there are two avenues you can take to garner
more sales. One is to hunker down and bore deeply into
your niche, the other is to expand into other industries. In
both cases, you may want to look at trade shows beyond the
ones you have on your current docket. For example, if going
deeper into your industry niche, you can consider local or
regional shows, international expos, or shows which focus
on discrete research in your niche allowing you an
intellectual advantage. If expanding into other industries, you
have a wide range of choices but the advice is to research,
research, research before investing.

PICK YOUR TEACHERS = FIND THE BEST FOR YOU

Not all executives of Fortune 500 companies went to an Ivy
League or MIT caliber school, but considering the vast
number of colleges and universities, a disproportionate
number of these executives are graduates of the elite
universities. Translated to trade shows, that means you
should align yourself with well regarded shows, organizers
attuned to forward thinking, and professional organization
and management.

PICK YOUR MAJOR = MARKETING MESSAGE

When you declare a major, it is your intention to complete
the requirements and pursue a career in that field. People
remember that you started off in theatre, switched to
psychology, graduated in medieval history and then became
a salesman. At a trade show, you do not get a second
chance to change your marketing message. All the
promotion before the show, the exhibit and goodies need to
revolve around The Message. In essence, a trade show is
not the time to change majors, confuse people and say “I
really don’t know what I’m doing here.”

PICK YOUR BOOKS = MARKETING TOOLS

A trade show is not an isolated marketing event but a
continuum of your marketing efforts, so you will not be
limited to books. Along the way, your marketing tools are
selected for the best impact on the right people, whether you
use print, video or the Internet. Once you understand the
demographics of your audience, you use the right medium
for the message. For example, a firm with a high-tech
operation will expect to see detailed information about your
firm on your web site – it is the first place they will look A
low-tech firm will expect print materials and detailed
manuals. And, yes, there are still people who do not trust
computers and will never use the electronic goodies in your
life as appreciatively as you do.

PICK YOUR CLOTHES = EXHIBIT

We always want to look our best. Just as your clothes are a
representation of your personality, your position in a firm
and your sense of style (how you view yourself), so too is
your exhibit a representation of your company. It’s the first
physical impression many people have of your firm. It tells
attendees at a glance if you’re an ordinary company or a
daring one. If you are high fashion (which may mean
expensive and faddish) or if your firm has strong traditional
roots. People absorb not only the color and the design of
your exhibit but the language of the signage and the image
of your graphics. They look at the presentation of the
information you have available – whether it’s simple
brochures or high tech interactives. And they judge you both
in a overall sense and by subconsciously picking apart
those segments which they either strongly like or dislike.

PICK YOUR FRIENDS = STAFF

You do not always play with your buddies, but you do want to
be in a group which balances strengths and weaknesses to
get the job done. Selection of the right trade show staff is the
most important factor in the success of a trade show. If your
exhibit is an award winner design but your staff is bored,
cannot answer attendee’s questions or is boorish, most
people will walk away. Time is too short for the attendee to
teach your staff proper trade show etiquette and sales
techniques.

STAND UP TO PLAYGROUND BULLIES = PICK YOUR
BATTLES

During the trade show process, there will be times when
you think something is not fair, or is too expensive or really
inconveniences you. Sometimes, it is because you do not
understand the contracts and the flow of how a trade show
is put together. When in doubt, just ask for an explanation.
You do not have to take “That’s the way it is…” for an answer.
Find the top level of authority and make your concerns
known. A losing battle for the current show includes
contracts signed which obligate you to use certain labor
pools at certain rates. You can make your views know for
next year, but this year it is in stone. On the other hand, if you
find a competitor next to you (this happens very rarely as
show management is very conscious of this potential
squabble), ask that one of you be moved. Make sure your
complaints are legitimate. When you pick the right battles,
you should win. Otherwise, you are just a whiner or a
gossip.

PICK YOUR SPORTS = EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Trade shows are seldom just a time to set up an exhibit,
showcase your products, and leave. Increasingly, trade
shows are bracketed by educational sessions, social
events, informal networking time and fund-raising. Golf and
tennistournaments are fashionable either as a fund-raiser
or just social time. Firms will entertain clients during the
non-show hours by utilizing a hotel Hospitality Suite or an
off-site venue.How easy it is to overload your calendar,
overfill your glass and plate, and think your only job is to
have a good time. Wrong! You are your company’s
representative, so whatever behavior you demonstrate is
what people perceive as acceptable by your company. It’s
best to be on your best behavior.

PACK YOUR LUNCH = TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

When you’re on the road, it is easy to fall into the grab-a-bite
routine as you rush through the airport. Or the
I-deserve-this- dessert syndrome as you dine alone waiting
for the next plane. Too much sugar, too much booze and too
much stress take their toll whether you are going to or
coming from a show. Experienced business travelers have
these words of wisdom -

* Listen to your normal body clock as much possible

* Acknowledge when you need rest

* Drink lots of water and fluids

* Don’t drink alcohol when flying

* Maintain an exercise routine, even if it’s just walking
around the airport

* Wear stylish and comfortable clothes – don’t look like you
just came from the gym. You will be more quickly accepted
and get better service when you dress professionally

* Pack lightly. There are no naked people where you’re
going – there’s always a store

* Have an emergency kit with you. Whether you have a
headache, you arrive at the hotel past room service hours,
or you feel lonely, take care of yourself. You should take a
medicine kit, pocket knife, small flash light, snacks, extra ID
and pictures of the family.

Going to school for the first time is scary but then it
becomes routine. Keep a little bit of that first-time fear in
your trade show routine. It will make you more aware of your
surroundings and opportunities.

Julia O’Connor – Speaker, Author, Consultant – writes
about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of
Trade Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 10th
year, she works with companies in a variety of
industries to improve their bottom line and marketing
opportunities at trade shows.

Julia is an expert in the psychology of the trade show
environment and uses this expertise in sales training
and management seminars.

Hiring a new employee is something that professionals often postpone as long as possible. It is important to find the right person to fill the vacancy. The hiring process takes time and effort. There is a big temptation to add someone who is available at that moment and looks like they have the skills to do it. This is often a mistake. Here is a list of other hiring mistakes that professionals frequently make:

1. No job description – By writing down in detail the tasks that this employee will be required to do the hiring manager will be able to see clearly the qualifications a person will need to do this job.

2. Hiring someone without the necessary skills – It will be clear from the job description what skills are necessary for the job. Testing the candidate to be sure that his or her skills are current is also important. (Use a Proof reading, filing, or grammar skills assessment.)

3. Hiring someone without having the person take a behavioral assessment – The assessment will help you see if this person will fit into the office and compliment the skills of the other people. It will also help you to communicate with the person in a way that that person will hear. Most managers tend to hire people like themselves when in fact they may need someone who can do some of the things that the manager doesn’t enjoy.

4. Hiring someone whose temperament or personality is wrong for the job – Some positions require people who are talkative and friendly and others require people who enjoy working by themselves. Certain tasks require a detail oriented person while others need some one who sees the big picture. Knowing the personality type and temperament that is best for the particular position will help the manager find the right person.

5. Hiring friends and/or relatives – Often people hire friends or relatives to be kind or to do a favor for someone. If the decision turns out to be a bad one, the situation can get really uncomfortable. It is often difficult to give feedback to friends or relatives and they often resent being put in a position where they have to be grateful for the opportunity but are really angry with you for the criticism.

6. Not interviewing the candidate – To really get to know if you can work with someone you need to speak with him/her directly either face to face or by phone.

7. Not preparing for the interview by creating a set of questions that you ask everyone – Spending time preparing a set of probing questions for the candidates will help you to determine which candidate most closely fits your job description.

8. Not posting the job, advertising it in the paper and/or using a recruiter so that you get multiple candidates giving you a choice – Some are tempted to hire the first applicant. If you advertise for candidates in multiple ways and use a recruiter too, you should have a variety of candidates to interview and select from.

9. Not screening the candidates so you interview everyone – Once you have a group of candidates it is easiest to have screening interviews to weed out those who are definitely inappropriate. Often screening interviews are done by phone but also could be done in email.

10. Not checking references and background – It is tempting once you have settled on a candidate to hire him/her on the spot. It is worth taking the time to check references and background to be sure that this candidate has honestly presented him/herself.

About Alvah Parker

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker’s Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. To subscribe send an email to join-roadtosuccess@go.netatlantic.com.

Parker’s Value Program© enables clients to find a way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. She is both a Practice Advisor and Coach to attorneys, managers, business owners, sole practioners, and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com She may also be reached at 781-598-0388

If you have an animal at home, you might need to do some preparations before the baby comes home form the hospital. If you have a cat, you need to get her nails clipped and be given a bath. Move the liter box as far away from the baby as possible. In fact, put the liter box outside. The liter boxes contain the poop of the cat. This is not good for the baby. I should be known that baby seem to really like the kitty orca. I have seen my friends son come over to the house…he is two, and come out with poop all over his mouth. Also put something over the area where the kid is sleeping. You can put some double back tape along crib rails, and cats hate to have sticky stuff on their feet. Cats also like to cuddle up next to warm things, to keep warm. A friend of ours’ son, was snuffed out in his sleep by a cuddling cat don’t let this tragic story happen to you. Just be aware that it does happen. Also if the kid is allergic, the reaction could be bad. So be ready to act fast.

Every great resume deserves a great cover letter.

A cover letter is crucial because it’s the first thing
the hiring manager sees. And you only have seconds to
grab his or her attention. So, you have to make sure
the cover letter stands out from the dozens–or maybe
even hundreds–of others that cross the hiring
manager’s desk each week.

You might ask, why bother at all with a cover letter?
If I only have a few seconds to grab a recruiter’s
attention, why not do it with a resume? The answer is,
that even the best resume is a rather dry listing of
accomplishments and abilities. By definition, it’s a
summary.

But with a cover letter, you have an opportunity to let
a little bit of your personality shine through and to
talk directly to the hiring manager. Plus, it’s your
chance to show off a little of what you know about the
company and to tell why you’re interested in the job.

Use the steps we’ve outlined here and you’ll be well on
your way to a dynamite cover letter.

Tip #1: MAKE A CONNECTION

There are 3 basic parts to making a connection:

1. Draft a strong opening paragraph.

2. Show your personality.

3. Research and target your audience.

* Draft a Strong Opening Paragraph.

You must capture the hiring manager’s interest
immediately. The best way to do this is with a dynamic
opening sentence and paragraph. Be sure to refer to the
position you’re vying for, and state why you are
qualified for the job.

Remember to frame your statements in terms of how you
can benefit the company, not the other way around.

If you can, mention the name of someone the hiring
manager knows and respects. For example, you could say,
“Joe Smith recommended that I contact you about your
opening for a shift manager.” Or, “My associate, Janet
Brown, told me such wonderful things about Jones
Company that I couldn’t wait to send you my resume.”

Rhetorical questions that make the hiring manager think
can also work well. This should be a question that can
lead into some way that you can benefit the company.
For example, “Are you struggling with the rising costs
of [fill in the blank]? I can cut your costs by 30%.
Here’s how…”

Beginning with a quote is another good way to grab the
reader’s attention. Although you must choose your quote
wisely. And then you have to make sure you transition
into the rest of your letter gracefully.

It’s also important to know what tone to set in this
opening paragraph. In some cases, this may depend on
the industry in which you’re trying to get a job. For
example, a friendly, informal tone may work well if
you’re applying to a small, entrepreneurial company.
While a more formal, professional tone might work
better for a large law firm or corporation. On the
other hand, a bold statement might work really well if
you’re seeking a leadership or sales position.

* Show Your Personality

While your writing style should be matched to your
audience to some extent, as explained above, it should
also reflect your personality. Start to give your
prospective employer a sense of who you are and what
you value.

* Research and Target Your Audience

You want to sell the hiring manager on the belief that
you’re a great fit for the company. The only way to do
this is if you know enough about the company to
understand what makes it tick. Be sure you’ve taken the
time to learn a bit about their mission, their
products, their history, and their goals for the
future. This will help you communicate hiring you will
benefit them.

Always address the cover letter to a specific person.

Take the time to call the company if necessary to learn
the name of the person doing the interviewing. This, in
itself, says a lot about your initiative and attention
to detail.

Tip #2: SELL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Your cover letter should sell you as the product. So,
make sure you know what skills the company needs and
then describe how you have what they are looking for.
Pick one or two of your best accomplishments or
abilities, and highlight them in your letter. Sure,
they’re listed on your resume too, but this tactic
makes sure the hiring manager sees them right away.

If it makes sense to list a few accomplishments, then
list them as bullets. This will draw the reader’s
attention to that section of the letter right away. And
after all, what you have to offer is the most important
part of this letter.

Tip #3: CLOSE THE LETTER

Powerfully Ideally, you want to leave your reader
hungering to know more about you. But you also want to
be proactive. So, rather than ending your letter with
the common statement, “I look forward to your call,”
say you’ll call them in a few days to arrange a time to
meet. If you don’t have a phone number, and couldn’t
find on during your research, then try to provide an
incentive for them to call you.

Some people say they’re going on vacation or out of
town after a certain date and ask to meet prior to
that. Others say they’ll be in an area at a certain
date and time and ask for the interview during that
period. Be creative, but make it as real–and company-
oriented–as you can.

Tip #4: MAKE IT PLEASING TO THE EYE

Finally, it’s important that your cover letter be easy
to read and professional looking.

Kathi MacNaughton, a freelance writer and editor, has
years of management and recruitment experience. For
tips & advice on writing powerful resumes & cover
letters, see
http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com.
Copyright 2004 Kathi MacNaughton. All rights reserved.