Health and Human Services Professional Development

To Whom it Concerns…Please Read My Cover Letter by   Jill Bowers   on   July 1, 2013   There are no second chances with a cover letter. It is often the first thing that employers glance at. Some may actually read cover letters. Others will skim them. Regardless, if something they do not like jumps out at them, your file will likely be tossed to the bottom of the pile…or worse yet, the trash. Thus, the cover letter is crucial. Some red flags include typos/grammatical errors, too long, rambling, repeating what is on your resume or CV, not addressing important points (e.g., the skills you possess that qualify you for the job), or using the same action words (best to avoid repetitive use of the same words). For more information, see  6 Secrets to Writing a Great Cover Letter ,  8 Cover Letter Tips for Graduates with No Job Experience ,  5 Things Your Cover Letter Must Cover , and  Action Words for Your Cover Letter...

The Power of a Handshake by   Lisa Brooks   on   August 13, 2013   What does your handshake say about you? Does it convey that you are confident and self-assured? Or, does it suggest that you are insecure, an emotional bully, or overconfident? Research shows that not only will you be judged by your handshake, you will be forming an impression about the other person when shaking hands. During my etiquette training at the Protocol School of Washington, I was taught to see the right hand as a sensor for discovering the type of person with whom I was dealing. Once you understand the subtle messages of a handshake and learn how to deliver the correct handshake, you will have a significant advantage in mastering your professional image. This article provides guidelines for delivering the correct handshake, as well as it will help you interpret (and avoid) some of the most common types of undesirable handshakes, such as the “dead fish,” the “fingertip holder,” the”glo...

Employer-Proofing Your Social Media Profiles by   Jill Bowers   on   November 23, 2013   The number of online articles about personal social media accounts and the research your potential employers are likely doing continues to grow. It seems inevitable that a potential employer is going to attempt to gather information about what you are NOT telling them, so what kind of impression are you making with your online profiles or tweets? True or false? You are generally safe with venting via Twitter because less than half of your followers actually read your tweets, and the chances that your hashtags will go viral are slim.   FALSE  – at least the first part. If you doubt this, ask the high school senior who attended a campus information day in Brunswick, Maine and proceeded to post negative or derogatory comments about others while she was there (see  They Loved Your G.P.A. Then They saw Your Tweets. – NY Times ). Remember that employers can...

Impression Management and the Power of Your Handshake by   Constance Harriet, Guest Author   on   August 25, 2014   From previous experience, I have learned that the first impression can make a significant impact on the tone of the rest of a job interview. It has also been documented that handshakes influence first impressions; see our  Power of a Handshake  article. Indeed, handshakes can influence whether the people we meet trust, like, or want to work with us. Bernieri and Petty (2011) took this a step further and examined the links between impressions and perceived traits that convey something about one’s professional work ethic. These researchers found that a well-rehearsed handshake can convey traits such as conscientiousness and extroversion without using words.  Employers who are looking for employees that are detailed-oriented and thoughtful about their work may look for employees who reveal conscientiousness in their handshake, wherea...