A Receptionist by Any Other Name

Occupying a hiring position for many years, I rely on nonconventional ways to filter through candidates quickly (on paper and in person).  Place yourself in my shoes for a minute and imagine the wasted time it takes to review a hand-load of under-qualified non-motivated people looking for a paycheck for doing as little as possible. 

With this said, how many readers fall into the pushing-the-envelope category?  I did see a few hands begin to rise.  Proving yourself as a viable and respectful candidate begins before you leave the house or submit an application.  The amount of preparation and diligence can’t be fooled; it’s obvious for the trained executive.  With this said, if you are not serious, don’t waste anyone’s time, even your own.

Back to the basics for a second; there I was, a Vice President of Operations with a sudden burden to interview and hire quality employees.  Not only is the chore to secure innovative employees time consuming, I have to perform my regular ten hour responsibilities.  Given this, shortcuts are not only common, they are demanded.  A primary shortcut many executives and hiring managers take advantage of is right in front as you open the door.

For this segment, we will summarize the “pre-interview” impression and rapid filtering system known globally as “receptionist respect” (Okay, so I just came up with that term).  In other words, even before you meet me, you meet me through the eyes and ears of my receptionist.

Receptionists are informed to provide feedback to specific preset questions only she (or he) knows.  These questions assist in the decision making process and are scored before the candidate and hiring executive shake hands.  Let’s take a sample peek at a few questions YOU are being graded upon BEFORE the interview begins.  This is not an all-inclusive list and varies per company (but that’s a little secret you did not hear from me):

          * Was the candidate respectful to you?  This includes a proper greeting and smile
          * Did the candidate arrive at the proper time and appear prepared
          * Did the candidate possess a positive attitude
          * Is the candidate dressed appropriately
          * On a scale of 1-10, what is your overall impression

The above are a few items used by many hiring executives to get a “first” impression—before the official first impression.

So, what do you do and how can you transform this information into your advantage?  The easiest and most effective way to form a pre-first impression is to be respectful to everyone you encounter—remember behavior and attitude can be developed from the parking lot to the elevator and to any chance intersection.

Breaking it down: keep a solid attitude and display professional courtesy at ALL times.  You may be surprised at how influential those you meet in typical settings are in the hiring process loop.  You may also be surprised at the number of well-qualified candidates who lost the edge due to not preparing for the pre-first impression. 

You DO have the power to shape your career destiny.

Always available to help,

Danny

Super Bowl at what career cost?

Career management is not always about finding jobs, it’s also about examining potential factors causing unemployment and/or economic difficulties.  With this said, what gives with the topic?  Surely the game is about getting the gang together, having fun, and doing what our great ancestors (going all the way back to the land time forgot) did as they beat their chests after tackling a wild hog and NOT about spending a ridiculous amount of money without thought of who is really paying the bill.

Good news, the days of beating chests are back (at least for one long and expensive weekend).  With me so far?  Good.

This weekend, as you watch the Super Bowl and check out those commercials that may be the time to ask “who is really paying for the $2.5 million to $3 million 30-second price tag.  That’s not even including production, pre-marketing, graphics, and research costs, etc.  What affect does a super-buck blow-out have on my career and who is going to pay the bloated price for a bag of chips simply because a hottie pushes the delight?  Let’s take a pure economic approach to this for a minute and find out who loses and who wins:

Losers:
1. General laborers feel the most pain in the form of lower wages and, in many cases, layoffs; companies are in business to make money and low-bearing fruit is ALWAYS the first to go.  For general laborers out there, no disrespect intended.
2. The average consumer is not able to purchase more than the bare minimum; meaning the price is above their personal equilibrium and most are barely balancing.  With fewer consumers working or working at low wages, the cost of the product must then increase to cover the exploding wages of the company power elite.

To summarize: the average person is paying the tab while our career prospects are being ignored for the sake of juicing the pocket of the few. 

Think about the money being spent for our brief entertainment.  Then think how Monday morning will find many still unemployed, underemployed, or unsatisfied with their job. 

Winners:
1. Dr. Pepper’s recruitment of KISS in full armor and makeup… Gene Simmons has already been pushing the soda with their “Calling Dr. Love” ads.
2. CareerBuilder’s contest to award a $100,000 prize to those creating the most memorable commercial (truth be known, they aren’t bad as far as commercials go).

3. Monster’s promotion to find a “NFL Director of Fandemonium.”  The ultimate winner will receive $100,000 and will be involved in various NFL activities including being on the field for the coin toss ceremony.

I tip my hat to FedEx, General Motors, and Pepsi who opted out of this years event; perhaps they have their eyes on employee development and keeping prices to a reasonable level.

Let’s loop back to the job search and tie it back in to the Super Bowl (after all, I have some ribs needing to be marinated).  A lesson can be expressed as the philosophy used in consumer marketing can also be adopted into your career search.  There’s a reason commercials are brief (other than the expense). 

To be effective, an advertisement, you being the product, has less than 20 seconds to get the decision-maker to contact you based on your commercial (resume).  Maximizing time management, the top third must convey value, detailing how you will make or save money based on your past performances. 

Then again, if I could spend $3 million for a 30-second commercial, I would just pay someone to write my resume for me while I go out chasing a wild hog… and this is coming from a certified resume writer!

Enjoy the game,

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110

Career Management: A back and forth dialogue

Over the past few weeks I began a new career management series entitled the “Huffman Report” and is presented through West Orlando News.  The site receives over 1 million visits a month, allowing us (and you) valuable insight from across the globe.  If you have a chance, check out the section at http://westorlandonews.com.  The following sprung from viewer questions and comments from that site.

Career management is not only about telling your own story; it’s about listening to others, their struggles, and their issues.  For a few minutes, lets get into our grab bag of comments which came in over the past few days, perhaps gain a bit of insight as we go…

From James: Interesting story (OOOPS…) as something close to that happened to me while I was interviewing a few years back. What is this site going to be concentrating on? I am interested in looking for another position but not sure what steps to take. Will your report go into depth? If I ask for specific topics, will you be able to respond and, if so, when?

We will be concentrating on the full career management life cycle.  In other words, we are going to be taking all old-time rock and roll records off the shelves.  There will be times we delve deeply and carry a mini-series single-topic approach while other times we’ll concentrate on local events or national trends.  Since you asked, if you request specific topics, I anticipate a turnaround time to be within the week.

Regarding your interest in looking for another position and what steps to take, that’s a large can to fill.  When I coach clients, I recommend starting with a true self analysis, determining what type of career/industry would make you happy (naturally consider the economic impact as well). Secondly review the knowledge, skills, and abilities you offer a potential employer. Honesty is the best policy here; if you are an entry-level candidate, don’t pursue a position asking for a senior executive. When it comes to finding possible job leads, know the advertised market carries only a small percentage of openings. 

Throughout the tenure of this site, we will expand on ways to reach the unadvertised market as well getting into interview strategies. I encourage you to actively participate in this site and continue soaking up the information as the days pass by.  On this account, I am hopeful we’ll be introducing a team of extremely qualified members of “Team Career” who will be adding valuable insight from across the US.

From Jason: I started to read the article because of wanting to know if blockbuster was finally going out of business – but then got interested in your advise.  My company informed us recently that they will be closing their doors in the next couple of months.  Your article gave me a boost.

Sometimes a little bit of encouragement goes a long way.  Unfortunately “right-sizing” is hitting too many people too many times.  President Obama is dragging his feet and our local politicians don’t appear to have a resolution except to increase the tolls.  I suggest you go to work each day with a positive attitude, a solid work ethic, and a personal conviction to succeed.  While this is keeping your mind at a calm state (hopefully), begin reviewing what you want to do.  Refer to the advice given to James as well. If your supervisors would like me to come in and assist a group of employees as they prepare for the upcoming transition, I’d be glad to help.  Keep me abreast as to your status and specific questions; this site is dedicated for this exact situation… guiding everyone in their career management struggles.

Gotta get out of the office for now but will fight the good fight first thing tomorrow.  Let me know what topics you are most interested in and throw a spicy question in now and then. 

Until then, remain groovy.

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110

What to Leave Out besides the Kitchen Sink….

By Kimberly Sarmiento

As I was reviewing a friend’s career documents recently, it occurred to me that some people wrote their resume for their first job and simply did nothing but update it with every new position.  After a few career transitions, the document was in need of serious trimming!

We put a great deal of emphasis on what should go into your resume – quantifiable achievements, top-line contributions, and cost-saving initiatives for example.  However, we also need to focus on what can come out. 

Collegiate Achievements: Unless you are a recent graduate, there is no need to point out that you lettered in varsity sports, was the captain of the chess team, or served as president of Gamma Beta Kappa.  In fact, even if you are a recent graduate, you can leave those things off your resume unless you can attach an accomplishment with them.

GPAs and Dates: As much as like to infuse figures into career documents, there are a few numbers we can leave out.  Once again, unless you graduated in the last couple of years, the employer doesn’t need to know your GPA or if you graduated with honors.  We also recommend you leave off the date you obtained your degree.  This gives an automatic cue as to your age which can tell your potential employer you are either too old or too young for consideration.

Lists of Duties/Responsibilities: These laundry lists tell the employer nothing about what you have done or what you can do for a company.  Whenever possible, take one of your responsibilities and pair it up with an accomplishment.  But also remember that some things are implicit in your job title.  We expect a Senior Support Specialist to provide support.  You don’t have long to make an impression (30 second at most!) so don’t waste time telling the reader what they can figure out on their own.

References: It is not longer necessary to provide a list of references in your resume or make the statement that references are available upon request.  Hiring authorities expect you can provide them with references.  Prepare a sheet to leave behind during an interview, but don’t worry about in your introductory documents.

Salary Information: Even if a job add requests salary information, it is best not to provide this in your resume or cover letter.  Salary should always be addressed during an interview.

Personal Information/Photos: It was once in vogue to supply a potential employer with a professional photo on your resume along with information about your interest and personal life.  Today, the law protects you from having to reveal this sort of information and it would be best not to open yourself up to unintentional discrimination right from the start with a bad picture or a hobby the hiring executive finds dangerous.

Remember when you craft your resume and cover letter that optimizing space and words is as much about removing needless information as it is about including top accomplishments.  To make an impact, you must make every word count!

Thank you Kimberly; as always, your insight is greatly appreciated.

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110

How Hiring Managers Read Résumés

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; Hiring Managers DON’T read résumés… at least not initially.  If they’re actively looking for a candidate, they have a ton of résumés to go through.  If they are not, they have other work to do.  Either way, they won’t give a lot of time to reading, so they skim to make a first determination.

First, an effort will be made. A hiring manager will read the top line beneath the contact information. YOU MUST IMPRESS HERE.  “Seeking employment with a progressive company” isn’t the way to go (that’s understood).  Opt for a branding statement illuminating your value to the company.  They’ll read just until they get the gist of the statement (so keep them short).

Then their eye drifts down the page. GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO SEE!  Snag the eye with VALUE.  Use Bold (sparingly), Small Caps (even more sparingly) highlighting QUANTIFIED accomplishments (the WOW factor), and the Hiring Manager will stop to read.  If it’s relevant to their needs, they’ll look for other relevant accomplishments.

The top half of your résumé should be so strong (lots of WOW) that they make their decision to call you before dropping to the career history.  This decision may not be fully conscious yet, it may just be a favorable impression, an eyebrow-raised “hmmmm!”

In the career history they will either look at the company name or the position title, whichever is more prominent.  LEAD WITH THE POSITION TITLE; that says more about you than the company name.  They will look at ALL of the titles first, then go back and cherry pick through the descriptions, looking for relevant key words (numbers will snag attention, too).  Chances are they won’t read all the way through, but they will mine the document for relevancy.

This being true, organize the top of the document carefully, drawing the eye to what needs to be seen.  Don’t over-structure the career history descriptions.  Simple bullets work well.

Submission by Robert Swanson
Career Services International

Coming AND Going: Bridges go Both Ways

As everyone knows, the initial impression (interview and first days of employment) are paramount to career success by setting into motion employer expectations and paving future consideration.  As a result, common sense dictates that your behavior should be nothing less than professional in nature and always timely in consequence.  How many readers would enter a relationship, personal or professional, without being on their top behavior?  For those with a sore cheek due to an inappropriate first contact, you know what I’m talking about. 

The employment arena holds forth certain truths and expectations as we know.  Unfortunately, not as many individuals adhere to the concept of departing relationships with the same degree of respect.  Bringing truth to the surface, leaving a position carries baggage of its own; and this goes for personal as well as professional situations.  When was the last time you took the role of the invisible superhero—how did that turn out?  Hmm, I guess that’s why Elton John calls it the blues.

Let me give you a recent example of professional courtesy and you tell me if the employee burned any bridges upon employment separation.  Let’s call this young lady (who was employed for just over 90 days) Sam.  As many readers will attest, (self included) health issues can disallow a consistent work schedule; thus, holding ill-feelings against an employee for things that are out of their control is not always the right thing to do, though is often what does happen… when was the last time you spent a few minutes at the gossip water fountain?  I thought so.  For Sam, her health forced her to make a choice.

For the first 60 days Sam was the ideal employee.  Great attitude, super work ethic, and was making a positive effect on the bottom line.  Unfortunately health issues caught up and she was unable to perform her duties.  She made the choice to severe our business relationship and did the right thing by personally notifying me of her inability to continue and a time/day was scheduled for her to pick up belongings.  This act of professional courtesy meant a great deal, not only for the moment, but also for future consideration.  The option of not calling and simply not showing up could have been chosen.  The option of not showing up occurs more often than not as it is, for many employees, the easy and cowardly way to end employment.

Bit of advice: when a decision has been made by an employee to no longer work for a company, ALWAYS inform your supervisor.  In the case of Sam, her bridge to this company remains open and when she is capable of returning, she has a home and a group of people who genuinely care about her.  I believe that’s what makes a company and its employees successful. 

On this same note, how many readers decided to leave a company and “accidently” forgot to inform your supervisor, choosing option number 2 and quietly vanish into thin air, leaving your employer in the dark?  No doubt we’ve all done it, but that does not make it right. 

Building bridges between networks and employment histories is part of maturing as a professional and person.  Keeping those bridges, even if the path did not work out, is just as important. 

When you get a few minutes, let me know some of the situations you encountered used to justify your disappearance act?

Tomorrow is built upon Today’s action(s) and Yesterday is the glue binding all… think about it.

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110

Don’t Make Me Think!

Submitted by Robert Swanson,
Author, editor
Education Career Services

Steve Krug’s book on optimizing web page usability/readability titled Don’t Make Me Think has much to say to would-be résumé writers as well, though Don’t Make Me Synthesize might be a better title for such a book.

Too many résumés throw out only what the candidate has done; hoping the hiring manager will figure out what the candidate can therefore do for them.  Such a passive résumé forces the reader to synthesize, which is more work than the reader wants to do.  YOU need to be the active component, not the reader.

Hiring managers have problems and goals or they wouldn’t be hiring.  The candidate who can anticipate the employer’s needs and pre-synthesize their résumé to provide solutions wins the interview.  How is this done?  Simple.

Begin with the company’s needs you can fulfill.  Imagine I own a pizzeria and I’m looking for help.  Clearly I’d want someone with specific pizza skills, but if you can show me you have transferrable skills, I’ll want to talk to you.  You might guess I need bakery, food preparation, health/safety, and cashier skills.  If a résumé tells me you’ve worked at McDonald’s “responsible for customer service, hamburger assembly, and fryer duty” I don’t know if you were any good at it!  After all, you aren’t doing it anymore and that could imply you were fired for incompetence.

Instead, use active language, and bring solutions to the top where I’m sure to see them, and generalize to fit my needs:

• Prepared and assembled food products in a rapid-paced environment in accordance to FDA and OSHA regulations.
• Programmed and operated Point of Sales (POS) System during lunch and dinner rushes; recognized for consistently delivering no shortages or overages.

These two bullet points alone would make me call this person.  Familiarity with government regulations, can program a POS system, and handles cash and rushes well?  I don’t have to guess or figure out if this candidate has the skills I’m looking for, they’re placed right where I’ll see them.  By anticipating my needs, the candidate shows intelligence and forethought.

What solutions do you offer a company?

Thank you Robert, you’re always on target!  If you have any questions or comments, don’t be shy!

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110

Founding Father & Entrepreneur, B. Franklin, Storms Out of Job Fair – Offers Sage Advice in Parting

Expressing his growing frustration, scientist, diplomat, and entrepreneur, Benjamin Franklin, 56, told reporters Monday that he is giving up on the Internet as a principal means of his job search and going back to writing letters and leading revolutions.  “Tis all a sham.  I ought write Mr. Craig a letter expressing my utmost dissatisfaction with the integrity of his list,” Inventor and Postmaster of Philadelphia, Mr. Franklin, told reporters while attending a career fair last Wednesday.

With so many job and message boards available over the Internet, the average Joe and Sue are left to roll the dice in the hope their dream job will find them.  When asked for alternatives, Mr. Franklin had only one thing to say “There are no gains without pains.”  That’s right; it was Poor Richard, not Rocky Balboa’s trainer that said it first.  The downside of having this wealth of information at our finger-tips is the complacency that has developed as a side effect.  The average career seeker has become comfortable with the notion that spending two to four hours surfing the web in their pajamas is a sufficient enough ‘job search’; there isn’t much left to do.

Standing before the unbalanced ratio of employers to applicants, Mr. Franklin pounded his walking stick three times on the venue floor, raised himself onto a cafeteria table, and exclaimed in true revolutionary fashion, “Hear ye’, hear ye’…hide not your talents, they for use were made.  Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry, all things easy.  He that rises late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night and poverty shall soon overtake him.”  And with that, this patriot stormed out of the auditorium, leaving 250 people stunned and confused.

Let’s make sense of the wisdom this Renaissance man was trying to communicate.  The explanation is simple, think outside the box.  The following statistic clearly demonstrates the obstacles for successful career searches: 80% of jobs are not, or have yet to be, posted on the Internet, leaving 20% of posted positions to be fallen on by the hungry masses.  Alarmingly, 80% of seekers are using the Internet as their sole means of research.  What is the other 20% doing?  Career seekers taking advantage of the Internet AND the non-advertised market are being industrious and using their talents.  They reach out to the company decision-makers within their dream industries. 

Adding during a Skype interview, the Seminal Postmaster explained, “Hath the public forgotten the impression sealed within letter?  Doth the individual prefer being Spam whilst success lay in standing above the crowd?”  So, what should the first step be?  Visit your local librarian and ask for reference books containing up-to-date listings of companies operating your industry of choice.  You will find ample supply of such material, print or electronic, made available to libraries.  In most cases, there will be a telephone number accompanying the street address.  With this information in hand, the next step would be to call and request the name, mailing information, and if possible, the telephone number of a decision-maker within a certain department. 

Once company/contact information is received, consider petitioning for an Informational Interview.  Prepare a broadcast mailing by compiling a substantially large list of companies/individuals; include a compelling cover letter and a concise, impactful one-page resume based upon the VALUE you bring, keeping it metric based.  Presenting superior marketing documents is critical. 

This approach is not for the faint of heart.  It requires work, courage, and passion.  This fortitude should be easy to come by since we are talking about your career; a vastly important element of your life.  Broadcast mailing can open many doors.  Take a few minutes to scroll through the blog submissions below offering insight on direct mailing and informational interviewing.

Perhaps this is the first time you have considered an analogue mailing of this magnitude and are a bit doubtful of the strategy.  If this is the case, we would be happy to put you in contact with Mr. Franklin (or a career consultant if he’s not available) to discuss the particulars of this strategy.  For more information regarding the types of resumes and cover letters hiring managers are looking for, post a reply and we will be happy to assist you.

Prepared and submitted by Charles Montoya, Senior Writer

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110

Pools Getting Larger, BUT not for Swimming

A few days ago I read an article from the Career Management Alliance (CMA) highlighting how the pool of workers will be increasing for many years to come.  In a nutshell, this is due to our seasoned employee’s intent to remain active in the workforce many years after retirement age.  The rippling effects of such a shift have consequences well beyond the immediate.

For those unfamiliar with the article, I’ll share the text printed by CMA:

The baby-boom generation-those born between 1946 and 1964-is expected to remain in the labor force longer than previous generations. As this group ages, the number of people in the labor force aged 55 to 64 is expected to grow by 33 percent between 2008 and 2018, and the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to grow by 78 percent. The numbers of 45- to 54-year-olds and 35- to 44-year-olds are expected to shrink as baby boomers age and shift into older groups.

Total labor force growth is expected to average about 8 percent during the projections decade. Because of such factors as better health and medicine, the number of adults in the labor force aged 65 and older is expected to grow about 10 times faster than the total labor force.

With our unemployment situation in such a depressed mode, it appears the world will need more than a helping hand from our government and President Obama.  From senior-level employees to high school students to graduating students, the impact of a larger pool of applicants means more competition.  As a result, more competition means a return to Darwinism; survival of the fittest may be this decade’s mantra…. Hey, just keeping it real.

No longer are employers seeking candidates unable to perform a wide range of responsibilities.  The new “fittest” will be employees capable AND willing to do more (and often for less—sorry).  For those in the workforce, continue professional development training, learn more skills, become adaptable, prove to your employer that you are focused on progression.  In other words, no more complacency.

For the student or recent graduate, I encourage you to also learn as many skills as possible.  Become active in the community; develop a diverse network of peers from various industries.  While in high school or college, take a good look in the mirror and check out what stares back, objectively.  Sitting back, attending to your major while ignoring the competition is not career survival.  As a career coach and resume writer, I encourage you to study beyond your major—as a matter of fact, obtain a minor in a completely different field…think about it.

With the pool of applicants increasing (and no release valve in sight), it’s time to gather as many skills and experiences as possible.  Is the pool large enough for all to swim?  No doubt if Darwin was around, he would keep it real and tell it like it is.

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110 

Don’t spam filter out a job offer!

By Kimberly Sarmiento

The only thing more annoying than spam e-mail is that we still get junk mail in our physical mailboxes.  You know – the ones we have to go outside to check?

But as aggravating and virus infested as spam mail might be, you don’t want to filter out a future employer’s contact.  Therefore, I recommend against adding on features which will require a hiring authority to go through steps to establish they are a real person – ie. getting transferred to a website and typing in random numbers and letters they have to read through a strangely colored box.

I’ve gone through the trouble of doing this for a couple of friends and clients, but if I was in the position of scheduling a dozen candidates for interviews – I’m not sure I would bother.

If you are strongly concerned about spam mail, go ahead and establish a separate e-mail account used solely for your career search.  Remember to check it several times a day, but at least you know that all correspondence sent to and from that account will be dedicated to your career.  Therefore, there will be no chance of you losing an important e-mail in the shuffle of your regular correspondence. 

A dedicated e-mail account will also allow you to track easily which companies have responded to your inquires and/or submissions.  And it offers the benefit of professionalism should your current e-mail account be a little too cutesy, flat-out inappropriate, or give away information you might want to not reveal (your children’s names, your birth year, etc…).

Rather or not you choose to keep your current e-mail on your resume or replace it with a new one, remember you want to make it as convenient for the hiring authority (or their assistant) to contact you.  The more steps you ask them to take to get a hold of you, the more you increase the possibility they move on to another candidate!

Thank you Kimberly!

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPCC, CPRW
Owner, Author, Publisher
Career Services International
Education Career Services
dhuffman@careersi.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhuffman
407-206-5883 (direct line)
866-794-3337 ext 110