Keeping a Record

Keep a record of each resume sent and note the dates of your calls and interviews. Also indicate the results of each call and interview, and follow-up with thank-you letters. Don't leave anything to your memory; maintain a written record.

The simplest way of recording your direct mail campaign is to make a carbon copy of the letters as you type them. On the bottom of the carbon, note date and result of your phone call, date of interview, result of interview, and date of follow-up letter.

 
These can be kept in a file folder with a separate sheet - or calendar page - with dates and times of interviews noted. It would be disastrous to set two interviews for the same time.

A second system is to set up a large sheet of paper with column headings across the top. Below are the suggested headings for each column. The headings are separated by vertical lines with horizontal lines to separate the entries. The third system involves using 4" x 6" index cards. Again the information is the same as the other methods. This system is best for a very large mailing. Have the index cards printed up cheaply rather than typing them yourself.

A direct mail campaign is not an inexpensive way of looking for work, but no way really is. Direct mail takes money - for reproduction of resumes, envelopes, postage, and phone calls - and time. But any other method involves as much time. The difference is that the direct mail time is spent in the comfort of your home instead of on buses, on the pavement, and in waiting rooms. If you are pounding the pavements looking for work, you also have expenses for car fare, lunches, and the continual cups of coffee. The job hunt is going to cost you, regardless of how you do it. You've got to spend money in order to earn it.

The Interview

Don't view the initial interview with alarm or fear and trembling. If you find yourself shaking at the prospect of an interview, you have plenty of company. The tens of thousands of people Adele's agency sends out on interviews all have one feature in common: they have fears about being interviewed, and these fears are because they are preoccupied with their weaknesses rather than their strengths.

Trust me. If you examine the interview process, you will see that it loses much of its terror. It is not the ladder up to the guillotine. It is a meeting to amplify the material in your resume and to inform you in more detail about the job in question. Never forget that the interview is bilateral.

The firm that is interviewing you is just as interested in selling itself to you as you are in selling yourself to them. Your resume has already done most of the job of selling you. If it hadn't, you wouldn't be at the interview. Very often, after a few questions to clarify or expand upon the details in your resume, you suddenly find that the interviewer is no longer talking about you, but is telling you of the tremendous advantages of working for that company. You may not realize something that is very clear to us from our perspective - that many a firm has lost an applicant it wanted badly, because the interviewer at one of its competitors described a much more attractive working environment.

You are not present at the interview because the firm wants to torture you. Your presence is a result of someone's feeling that the firm's interests can be served by hiring you. They have, or soon will have, an opening and are trying to get the best person they can to fill it. The information on your resume has indicated that you are qualified; now they are determining if you are the best qualified.

With this in mind - that the firm is interested in you - your effort must be directed toward convincing them that their best interest lies in hiring you. Through your manner you indicate that you are not only the best qualified, but that you have assets and abilities that can't display themselves in a resume. The amplification that the interviewer often seeks is in those intangibles which will ultimately decide whether you and the firm are suitable for one another.

It is difficult to determine what is wrong when the people making the decisions don't know themselves. However, we have come to the conclusion that the three most important intangibles are enthusiasm, sincerity, and honesty.

By enthusiasm, we do not mean a bubbling, ingenuous exuberance. On the other hand, any attempt to be "cool" will be interpreted as boredom, apathy, or antagonism and such attitudes inevitably lead to a rapid, unsatisfactory termination of the interview. Show enthusiasm by manifesting an interest in the job under consideration, in the company offering the job, or even in the interview process itself. Do a little research on the company before the interview. This invariably creates a favorable impression. Furthermore, if the information you obtain on the firm impresses you favorably, it has a tendency to "psych you up," to make you want to get that particular job, and that, in itself, will come out as enthusiasm as you are inter-viewed. Much information concerning a law firm and individual lawyers can be obtained from Martindale and Hubbell, which is available in almost any law library.

Not only should you avoid trying to be cool, but don't assume any persona that is not your own. Few of us have sufficient acting ability to permit us to continue in a role for any length of time, and we would rapidly give ourselves away. Second, no amount of research is going to show you what sort of a person, apart from your qualifications as a worker, the firm is interested in. Even if there is a readily identifiable corporate or real estate image, you have no way of knowing if the image is what they still want.

Be yourself: You'll make the first step toward losing the interview jitters. Knowing that you will be hired for your qualifications and for your personality, just as they are, goes a long way toward making you appear an interested and sincere prospect.

Reread your resume before each interview. Going over your background will help you present yourself as a well-organized person with a calm and positive manner. It is also a means of recalling facts which are not on the resume but which will probably come up in the interview. These facts will probably include such data as names of supervisors in your earlier jobs and reasons for leaving former (or present) employment. As the interviewers often repeat questions already answered on your resume or on their application, don't introduce any confusion.

This is also one of the prime reasons for being honest. If you depart from the truth in either your resume or on the job application, you are putting an additional load on your memory and this will serve only to increase your apprehension. The interviewer expects some nervousness on your part and usually will try to help dispel it. However, if your nervousness increases as the interview continues, it can seem that you are afraid of being trapped in a lie.

Your employment is an inarticulate contract between you and the company. There is a mutual benefit which both parties agree to after assessing the facts available to them. Either party would be justified in cancelling the unspoken contract if the other party had falsified any of the information. If you accepted a job at a low salary scale as a result of a promise of a sizable increase after three months' employment, you would feel that you had been treated unfairly if that raise did not arrive. And your employer is equally justified in cancelling the contract if you had been hired as a result of false information.

Dishonesty is not just a matter of morality. Hiring and "breaking in" a new lawyer or paralegal is an expensive process for a firm. In addition to the clerical costs involved in setting up a new personnel file, adding to the insurance roster, setting up payroll cards, etc., many offices feel that few employees can earn their salaries until they have worked three months. One of the functions of the personnel department of any company is avoiding such unnecessary expenses. Hence, even the suspicion of a lie can keep you from being hired. It is best to be direct, candid, and honest in all your replies.

Many people, for instance, feel that they should exaggerate their previous salaries. Perhaps they feel that they are very well qualified for the $25,000-a-year job, but their previous salary being only $20,000 will count against them; so, they put a little white lie on the application. Yet that may be one of the details that will be checked when calling your previous employer. It is far better to be truthful.

It is possible that your previous employer was known for underpaying employees. It could also be obvious from your resume that, as your skills and duties with that firm increased over the years; your salary was not increased commensurately. If you feel that the disparity between your previous salary and the one you are seeking is great, explain that the low pay was one of the reasons you left that job.

Another inevitable interview question concerns your reason for leaving previous employment. Here again truth is the only answer. Even if you were dismissed for incompetence, it is wise to say so. It is often obvious from your resume that you never should have been given the previous job, that you were under-qualified for the position. It could be that not you, but the person who hired you, was to blame. Your honesty and candor would bring this out.

Even if you don't get the job, don't dismiss the interview as time wasted. If you are a neophyte, at least you gained interview experience. You probably did make a good impression even if your qualifications were not quite what the company wanted. It is also likely that your resume will be filed and you may be considered for another opening in the near future.

Your appearance at an interview will affect its outcome. Appearance means not only the way you are dressed - which we will talk about shortly - but also the way you communicate non-verbally. You will never have to tell the interviewer that you are nervous in so many words; you will show that by a number of gestures and movements. The nervousness will be understood. The problem will be in restraining those gestures and expressions that show boredom or hostility. While difficult to control, they can be suppressed. Concentrate on the interviewer's words, even to the extent of sub-vocally repeating to yourself everything that is said.
 
This concentration has a tendency to set up "interference" with the emotional connotation the words might have for you.
Another factor to consider is your actual physical appearance. Overdressing is as great an error as underdressing. The simplest rule to follow is to dress in the same way as you would expect to dress at work if you got the job. With very few exceptions, this means a dark business suit for a lawyer and slightly more casual dress for a paralegal. Your clothes should be neat and clean, and your hair should be so as well. Remember also that you are going to be interviewed by a human being with quirks and prejudices. You do not want to engender instant antagonism by wearing a political button or insignia, or any indication of your views on any controversial subject. We are not suggesting that you have no right to your views, but merely recommending a platform other than a job interview for broadcasting those views.

Interview Do's and Don'ts

There is much else we could tell you, but we feel that if you are intelligent enough to work, you are intelligent enough to know that you shouldn't pick your teeth or clean your fingernails at an interview. Below is a simplified list of the do's and don'ts of the interview:

• DON T arrange for more than one interview in a morning or afternoon.
   
• DO be prompt. If for any reason you are delayed, phone and reschedule the interview as soon as you can.
   
• DO fill out application forms in their entirety even if you are asked for information already on your resume.
   
• DO try to appear poised and alert. Make sure your clothing is comfortable, and seat yourself comfortably without sprawling.
   
• DON'T interview the interviewer. Trying to dominate the interview may give you a feeling of self-assurance, but it won't get you the job.
   
• DO ask questions. If there are aspects of the job that are not clear, ask. Whether your questions concern duties or benefits, you have a right to know.
   
• DON'T ask at the first opportunity what the paid holidays and vacations are. You don't want to give the impression that your prime interest is in how little work you will be doing.
   
• DON'T burden yourself with props. The initial interview is not the place for college credentials, letters of reference, work portfolios, and such, unless you are told to bring them.
   
• DO be polite at all times. Should the interviewer do anything to provoke your hostility, keep it under wraps until you get out.
   
• DON'T hide. Some people try to hide their nervousness by hiding parts of themselves. Such mannerisms as covering the mouth while talking or wearing sunglasses indoors are attempts at hiding.
   
• DON'T be vague. Your answers to all questions should be clear and definite. "I don't know" is often a very good answer to a question.
   
• DO know what you want. If the interviewer asks, "What kind of work would you like to do for us?" give a concrete answer. "I don't know; I'll do anything," gives the impression that there is nothing you can do.
   
• DON'T get downhearted. The failure to get a job from an interview doesn't mean that you are a failure. There are other jobs and other interviews.
   
• DO phone back after the interview. You may get the offer at the interview, or it may not come until later. One week after the interview, phone back and ask if you are still "at bat." Keep phoning until you get a definite answer.

The Magic Power of Enthusiasm

A follow-up letter can help you in competing for a job by providing the magic power of enthusiasm. Employment counselors usually agree that the most enthusiastic person gets the job. So why not provide the enthusiasm? It can only help.

It Pays To Say "Thank You"

The best way to follow up is to say "Thank you." You may want to say it to the person who told you about a job to let the person know that you appreciate the effort, or you may want to thank the interviewer, letting him or her know of your enthusiasm. The letter will keep your image fresh in the person's mind. And that's definitely a plus!

Confirmation Courtesy

Even "after the fact," it pays to follow up. For example, you've been offered a job and have accepted it. But you are presently working and have just given your employer two weeks' notice. A simple confirmation, accepting the job and thanking the person who's hiring you, will reassure your immediate supervisor-to-be that he or she has made the right decision. It may also assure you of a warmer reception two weeks hence when you show up for the first day on the job.

The letter should be simple. Just confirm the fact that you have accepted the job, tell how happy you are to have it, and repeat the date on which you will report to start the job.

"NO THANK YOU, BUT. . ."

You have been offered a job, but for one reason or another you have refused it. It's an awkward situation that can be made smoother by a follow-up letter, especially if you are interested in working for the company at some future time.

See 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms for more information.

Just let them know why you're refusing. Maybe you have accepted another job but are unsure that it will work out satisfactorily. Letting them know will be a way of keeping your options open. If the firm was interested enough to offer you a job at that time, it is quite possible that they will be happy to consider you for a job at some future time, providing the situation is mutually satisfactory. In other words, you are saying, "No thank you, but..." Who knows when your letter might pay off in the future? It's apt to make a good impression for your courtesy alone. Companies like to think they are worth your time and effort, especially when they have extended courtesies to you. And, of course, they are worth it!