Milt Reynolds: Thinking Out Loud

Racial Discrimination Here are the facts: Identical resumes were submitted in Chicago and Boston during 2001 and 2002. Half were tagged with "white-sounding" names and half with "black-sounding" names . Eighteen names were used for the resumes. Nine were "white-sounding" : Emily Anne Jill Allison Laurie Sarah Meredith Carrie Kristen Nine were "black-sounding" : Aisha Keish Tamika Lakisha Tanisha Latoya Kenya Latonya Ebony Two names received the most call backs for interviews , 26%: Kristen Carrie Two names received the least call backs for interviews , 6%: Keish Aisha The resumes were identical. The top five names for call back interviews: Kristen Carrie Meredith Sarah Laurie The bottom five names for call back interviews: Tanisha Lakisha Tamika Keish Aisha The resumes were identical. The highest "white-sounding" call back name: Kristen, 13% The highest "bl...

What are your strengths? Ask a colleague. Good article about how to answer one of the toughest interview questions: What are your strengths? Author Toni Bowers suggests preparing for this question before the interview by asking some friends or coworkers: What are my strengths? What unique quality do I bring? At the interview, wait for the inevitable question (Wait for it...wait for it...) and then shock the interviewer by saying: Instead of depending upon my own view of myself, I decided to quiz my coworkers! Sounds like a great idea! Read the entire article here: www.techrepublic.com Image courtesy of Adrian van Leen

An Effective Cover Letter Your resume is NOT the first thing an employer might look at. Your cover letter, the one-page summary you attach to your resume is the actual portal to next step in getting an interview. Toni Bowers lists seven essentials for writing an effective cover letter. You can read the entire article here: http://blogs.techrepublic.com Here are the highlights of the article. Determine what the employer is looking for and meet that need. Keep your cover letter short and to the point. Don't repeat the contents of your resume. Try to remain positive . Write in clear and accessible terms. Write your cover letter, let it sit for a few hours , and then reread it. Proofread . That last tip still echoes in my mind: PROOFREAD! Toni writes that many recruiters have told her that they will toss a cover letter and resume in the trash if there is a typo. Proofread! Source: http://blogs.techrepublic.com