You forgot your job packet email attachment– What now?

You found an awesome job posting or graduate program, crafted the perfect curriculum vitae, and created a cover letter capable of convincing the staunchest of holdouts that you are a vital addition to their team. The only problem is you remembered to attach your resume after pressing send on your cover letter e-mail. Forgotten attachments happen to everyone, but the job application process is where you are supposed to distinguish yourself as a better candidate than everyone else. So – now what?

Unlike many career advice searches on the internet, there are not a lot of professional sites with comments on forgotten attachments. The obvious action requires you to send the forgotten materials; otherwise there is no chance for success. The real question remains: How do provide the missing information while saving face?

Do you apologize for the mistake? Do you try to act as if it never happened? The best route is to resend the same e-mail (with the attachment this time) with a comment in the title about the inclusion. Do not write a long, apologetic paragraph about forgetting the attachment. This reaction makes a big deal out of a common mistake and can make you seem insecure. At the same time you need to say something to differentiate the new e-mail from the old one so the hiring manager or principal investigator does not think you are spamming them. One postdoc recently forgot to attach their resume to a cold call e-mail and recovered by simply sending the same e-mail entitled “Employment inquiry at blah with attached resume”, and received a positive response.

For the most part, human resources and principal investigators tend to be pretty forgiving. Just keep in mind they are judging you at every interaction – this can be a time to show your ability to recover gracefully from a difficult situation.

Mistakes made during the application process may come back to haunt you during the interview. Keep in mind that if you are being interviewed that the company/ principal investigator thinks you might be a good fit for them. Do not be the one to bring up a past mistake. Do not give them a reason to deny you the position. Only talk about a past error from your application process if they ask about it. Be prepared with an answer that puts you in a positive light, not something like you were too busy applying to their competitor and forgot the attachment to them.

Of course, the better strategy is to remember the attachment. Make a list of things, mentally or written down, that you always check before submitting any application. Some items to include can be; properly addressing the cover letter, attaching the required documentation, filling in the subject line, and using spell check (spell check will not reliably catch names).  Leave a comment with other items you think the email proof-reading list should include.

 

 

Putting Together Your Job Package

If you have been following out Calendar for Career Success, you know that August is the time to put together your job packages.  Whether it be for an academic positions, a postdoc or a transition to a new career field, you need to have a competitive application.  We have provided some information below we feel will be helpful in this endeavor.

• What is a Job Package? -  A job package almost always includes a CV OR resume and a cover letter.  It is important to know whether you will want to include a CV versus a resume.  However, regardless of which one the job calls for you will want to make sure you tailor it to the specific job you for which you are applying.  The same is true of the cover letter.  In many cases, academic job packages will also include specific materials such as a Research Statement or Statement of Teaching Philosophy. 

Top 7 Reasons That You Should Visit A Career Counselor

In the beginning of January, we posted a calendar with monthly steps to move your career forward.  The February task was to meet with a career counselor.  Here at OITE, we have two career counselors on staff.  Anne and Elaine were kind enough to introduce themselves on the blog a couple of years ago.  What makes them an enormous asset for you is that they exclusively advise scientists.  They understand the career dynamics of fellows here at NIH and researchers in general.  They have a wide breadth of knowledge and experience in career counseling and have already helped hundreds of fellows take the next step in their careers. 

Whether you know where your career is heading or not, meeting with a career counselor can help you be more competitive in fulfilling your career goals.  With the help of our two career counselors on staff at OITE, we have determined the top 7 reasons to visit a career counselor.

Tomorrow’s Professor: Preparing for the Academic Job Market

During the AAAS talk last week on the academic job market, I was encouraged by the opinions shared by current faculty. I imagined that the academic job market was as bleak–if not more so–than the non-academic market. On the contrary…to paraphrase the speakers, “the best people are still finding jobs.” Still, you must put your best foot forward to be a standout candidate on the academic market.

If you find the entire process of applying for academic jobs overwhelming, or are not sure where to start, check out the OITE workshop held last month for an overview of the academic job market and tips on preparing your application package. You might also want to view the OITE videocast on this same topic from the fall of 2009. Additionally, appointments with OITE’s trained career counselors are available to plan your next steps.

Think about the documents you need to submit. Are you satisfied with them? How many people have you shared them with? Consider having your PI review your CV, letter, or entire packet, and remember that staff within OITE can review them as well.

For tips on writing/editing your CV and letter, check out these OITE resources:

• How to write a CV
• Sample CVs: CV1, CV2
• How to write a letter of application for academic positions

Also, check out this blog post for the review of a real CV from a trainee interested in teaching-intensive faculty positions.

If you would like to see more CV and letter samples and read more about the academic job market, take a look at the 4th edition of the Academic Job Search Handbook , the standard bearer on this topic. This book is also available via OITE’s circulating library. Visit the 2nd floor of Building 2 to check it out.

When should you be lining up letters of recommendation? When are positions typically posted? When should you put together and practice your job talk? For a comprehensive timeline of the academic job search, check out this OITE resource.

To prepare for a potential interview, don’t miss OITE’s upcoming workshop, Academic Job Interviews, taking place on December 6, 2010, from 3-5pm in the Natcher Conference Center, E1/E2. This workshop is the second in the CAT tracks series on academic jobs.

The third session in the series, Academic Job Seach: Recent Success Stories, is a panel discussion featuring former NIH fellows who will share their experiences with the academic job search and answer questions on applications, interviews, negotiating, and getting started with the teaching, research, and/or patient care responsibilities. This program will take place on February 1, 2011.

If you would like to learn more about interviews before the December workshop, check out last year’s OITE presentation and accompanying videocast on the same topic, or read through the OITE handout on academic interviewing.

Once you reach the negotiating stage, you will need to be prepared with all the information necessary to secure a fair package. For more guidance in this preparation, attend the 4th OITE workshop in the CAT tracks series, Evaluating Positions and Negotiating Offers, taking place on March 2, 2011. Last year’s slides and videocast are available through OITE for viewing, as is a sample offer letter, which may prove very helpful if you are unsure of what to look for.

Once you have accepted a position, you might consider the following to assist you with the transition to full-time faculty work:

• Transitioning Successfully from Postdoc to Faculty, OITE workshop (3-16-2010)
• Tomorrow’s  Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering, Rick Reis. Available via OITE’s circulating library.
• Tomorrow’s Professor listserv (helpful resource for all faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and administrators)
• At the Helm: A Laboratory Navigator, Kathy Barker. Available via OITE’s circulating library.

Best of luck exploring and preparing to enter this challenging and rewarding career!

Back to Basics: Crafting a Winning Cover Letter

“To Whom It May Concern”…no, that’s not right….”Dear Sir/Madam”….ugh, that’s so outdated….”Dear I-Don’t-Know-Your-Name-and-I’d-Rather-Be-Playing-Scramble-Right-Now…”

Where to start? Many of us still struggle when it comes to crafting a cover letter for a job of interest. I thought it might be valuable to review some of the basics, as job hunting may be new to some of us, while others of us may know that we need to strengthen our letters, based on a lack of positive feedback. Let’s begin:

Q: How should I address my letter if I don’t have a name?

A: Stay away from “Sirs” and “Madams,” and try a title instead. Use something like “Dear Director of Personnel,” “Dear Search Committee Chair,” etc.

Q: How long should my letter be?

A: 1-2 pages should suffice.

Q: What should I include?

A: Rather than repeating information that can easily be found on your résumé/CV, use the space available in a letter to outline how well you fit the position. Here are some basics:

1st paragraph: Mention the position title and where you found the posting. And be sure to express enthusiasm. This paragraph tends to be fairly short.

2nd-4th paragraphs: Highlight ways in which your education/experience/background make you a great match for the position. Use specifics, quantify results if you can, mention milestones, achievements, etc. Just be sure to connect your skills and experiences to the job at hand.

5th/Closing paragraph: Finish with the best way to reach you, reiterate your interest in and fit for the position, and indicate that you will follow up.

Q: When should I hear back? Is it ok to contact the employer to find out where my application stands?

A: If you have not heard any response within two weeks after you submit your materials, get back in touch with the employer. And rather than asking about your candidacy, ask the following two questions:

1) Have you received my materials?

2) What is your timeline for this search?

Both are appropriate questions to ask and will give you a sense of where things stand.

If you would like to have your cover letter reviewed before sending it out, consider making an appointment with an OITE career counselor, or email it to msinche@gmail.com for feedback. Good luck!