Every now and again, I write up a little recommendation for those searching for new employment. As we are currently hiring for two positions at Global Traveler, I have been reviewing some of the things that make me shake my head and wonder why a candidate would like to make themselves not appear to be the best for the position.

The Resumé:

• No cover letter means no call back from me. Say something about what you can do for us, not necessarily what you have done in the past. The past is the past, and what you have done before might not work in the current environment.
• No address. What am I, a stalker? Any resumé with just an email and telephone and no street address or city and state (domestic) is ignored.
• Job period should have a month and a year: June 2011–July 13.
• June 2011 to present does not mean that you are still “present” if you left the position six months ago. It is going to come out, so be honest and say what you have been doing.
• Listing jobs from when you were in high school or college when you are a seasoned worker is odd.

The Interview:

• We try to meet people in person, but often we end up using Skype or GoToMeeting. Make sure you practice for these type of interviews.
• For Skype interviews and meetings in person: dress the part or better than the part. We had a guy meet us for a final interview where we were about to offer him a job and he showed up in jeans, a t-shirt and a sport coat. It looked cool, for a casual night on the town, but not for a job interview.
• Be prepared. It has never been so easy to look up a company and figure out who they compete with and who their top advertisers/clients are. Even calling the main number and asking for collateral material is possible and makes sense.
• Have questions ready, and I would write them down. People, this is your career; take it seriously — you should have questions.
• Immediately follow up with an email thanking the interviewer for the meeting and asking for the next step. There is no reason this should take more than 24 hours. A handwritten note is nice, but an email should be sent first and then followed by a note if you like.
• Say hello to everyone you meet in the office. I really watch if the candidates say hello to the first person they meet. I also ask everyone what they thought of the person even if they did not speak to them. Trust me, they all have comments, some as small as how the candidate opens the door.
• With Skype meetings, make sure you dress appropriately and make sure you look at what else would be in the video (wall behind you and such).
• Anyone who says, “This is easy,” won’t work for me, as they have no idea what they are talking about.
• If you are asked to present, make sure the presentation is a quality piece and that you can run through it without reading it. You should stand, and it should be about 20–30 minutes. I can’t tell you how many times I say, “Is that it?”

if you have any suggestions, let me know!

— Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO