The Five O'Clock Club

What Every Employer Wants
by Kate Wendleton and Dale Dauten

“Kate & Dale Talk Jobs” is a nationally syndicated newspaper column appearing in The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Washington Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle and approximately 100 other newspapers.

Dear Kate & Dale: After being downsized from an accounting job, I got a job carrying mail for the U.S. Postal Service. I was let go due to circumstances beyond my control. I followed the supervisor’s request of taking shortcuts and hurt my foot walking across landscaping rocks. Later, my physician put me on medication and wouldn’t let me go back to work for three days. When my 60-day evaluation came, my supervisor dismissed me, citing that I was too slow. When I submit my resume I do not put this on it, but when I fill out an application I do. For the “reason for leaving” I just state “dismissed” and hope I’ll be asked to explain the situation. Connie

DALE: Whoa, Connie… if your “explaining the situation” is what you told us, you do NOT want to explain. What you've done is to blame your supervisor and your doctor. They may be to blame, but a hiring manager is going to hear your story and think, “Ah, so she’s a ‘victim’—when we turn her down, I wonder if she’ll blame me or the guy who fired her?”

KATE: Recently I gave a speech to the alumni of the Harvard Business School and they had the same issue as you do, Connie: How much detail should they give when pressed about why they got fired. I told them that if the conversation goes on for more than two seconds, it’s their own fault. You have to handle the issue and then get back to talking about your skills and accomplishments. Many of them, like you, are in the mode of defending themselves. Don’t. Just blow it off.

DALE: Harvard alums, eh? Well, in my commencement address to the Apache Junction School of Taxidermy ’n Stuff, I made a similar point: if you end up defending yourself, you’re defending against a job offer. Personally, I wouldn’t put a 60-day job on my resume OR application. That was just a trial period that didn’t work out. There is no way to make being fired from the post office for being too slow into a positive. Instead, say that you were willing to try anything while looking for work and even carried mail for a couple of months.

KATE: Agreed. You didn’t fail at the job, you found a bit of income to keep you going. Smile about it and move on — in the interview and in life.

Dear Kate & Dale: I would like your take on sending thank-you notes to employers after an interview. What should you say in the thank-yous? Handwritten? Should you use store bought cards that just say “Thank You”? Pamela

KATE: When we hire people for our office, even junior-level people, we are deluged with “thank you” notes. That’s nice, but no cigar. They have absolutely no impact on the hiring decision. They almost always seem as if they are sent out routinely to everyone with whom the applicant interviews. Does the applicant care about our job? Care about our organization? That’s why we believe in sending a follow-up note, not just a thank you.

DALE: In other words, you send a sales letter. Say you visit a house for sale and the realtor sends a note that says “thanks for stopping.” Big deal. But the same agent might send a letter saying, “Based on what you told me, I’m sending you information on a few other places you might like.” Which letter is more likely to motivate you to call?

KATE: In a job search, you might write, “Dear Ms. Jones: I was struck by the energy in your office and your managerial style. I know I would enjoy working in such a place because…” Further, you’d add something about what you could contribute: “I understand why you are concerned about X. It’s just the sort of thing I’ve done at Y.”

DALE: Doing so, you demonstrate that you heard and understood, and that you can help. That’s what every employer wants.