Alison Doyle

Using the Holidays to Say Thank You

The holiday season is a perfect time to say thank you to everyone who has helped with your job search this year.  

If someone helped you find a new job or helped you connect with people who made a difference in your career, this is a good time to let them know you appreciate their assistance.  Everyone likes knowing they are appreciated, and it only takes a few minutes to say thank you.

Here's more on writing thank you letters, including sample thank you letters and templates you can use as a starting point to compose your own thank you notes.

Skiing Jobs

If you're looking for a ski job for this ski season, ski resorts are still hiring. 

Cool Works has a list of current openings, information on the ski resorts, jobs, room and board, and benefits. 

If you have a specific resort you're interested in, you can also check directly with the ski resort web site.  Most resorts have hiring information on their web site, and many plan on having job fairs on site as we get a little closer to ski season.

Here's more information on the types of ski jobs that are available and how to find a ski job from About.com's Skiing Guide, Mike Doyle, who I am lucky enough to get to travel with to some of the top ski vacation destinations here and abroad.

More: Skiing

Photo Copyright Mike Doyle

Phone Interview Tips

Here's another in our series of job interview videos.  This ones helps you pull off your phone interview without a hitch so you can get closer to nailing down that dream job.

Good Letters: Resignation Letters, Thank You Letters and More

I get asked quite frequently for good letter samples for site visitors to use as templates when writing employment-related letters.  I think that's because it's much easier to start with a sample that you can tweak and rewrite to create your own letter than it is to start from scratch.

If you need to write a resignation letter, a cover letter, or to send a thank you letter or thank you note after an interview, take a look at these good letter samples and letter templates you can use to write your own employment letters.

• Letter Samples
• Letter Templates
• Best Cover Letter Examples
• Follow-Up Letters
• Good Resignation Letters
• Good Thank You Letters
• Thank You Notes
• Letter of Appreciation

If you need additional letter samples, WriteExpress.com has a good selection of employment and business letter samples and templates.

Job Searching On the Road

You never know when (or where) you'll meet someone who can help with your job search or who can boost your career.  If you're job searching and traveling for Thanksgiving, keep that in mind. 

On one occasion, my dad met a fellow engineer on a airline flight and ended up helping him getting a new job.  A fellow skier my husband met in an airport while we were waiting for a flight to Aspen ended up being a great connection for some freelance work.

I met someone at a party not long ago who happened to be looking for a part-time office job and I happened to know someone who was looking for a new employee with just those skills.

I'm not great at talking to people, but sometimes it's easier to talk to people you don't know, and you never know what good connections you might make. So, when you're traveling and job searching, it's important to be able to keep track of the new connections you meet, and to stay in touch with those you already know.   Here's how to job search on the road.

For those of you, like me, who are a bit shy, The Successful Introvert: How to Enhance Your Job Search and Advance Your Career, by Wendy Gelberg, has plenty of specific strategies to use in your personal and professional activities so that you can achieve greater success in their lives.

By the way, Wendy's book is published by Happy About where you'll find lots of helpful books to help with your career and your life.

Been Asked a Hard Interview Question?

What's the hardest question you've been asked  (or have asked) in a job interview? I'd love to add your tough questions to my list.  Here's how to share your question.

And here are some of the tough interview questions that  are already on the list.  There aren't necessarily any right or wrong answers, but carefully consider the job you are applying for, your abilities, and the company culture before you answers.  You'll want be sure your answer fits the job you're applying for.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today would have been my dad's 80th birthday.  He always loved his birthday and the fact that it was celebrated on a special day. A day of remembering - Armistice Day, as they call it in England, where he spent a good part of his life.

We had lots of parties to celebrate the milestones in his life, and I'd be remiss if I didn't honor what what would have been a special day, if he was still here.  Instead, we'll honor his life, without him, though he is always in our hearts.

Richard Hadcock was a special man who accomplished so much.  He rose from aircraft apprentice to become an aeronautical engineer of international standing and he was a leading authority on structural analysis and on the use of composite materials in aircraft design and manufacturer. 

He was a writer, talented amateur painter, a military historian, a Boy Scout leader for many years (I remember the stories about the eggs freezing and the piles of camping equipment and dirty laundry), and a volunteer for his church and local civic organizations. 

Most importantly, to us, his family, he was a terrific husband, who took great care of my mom after she had a stroke, and a wonderful dad to his four children and the best grandpa to his grandchildren.  He never passed up an opportunity to go to the beach, the zoo, or the park. 

He was always game - even up to the end - we were able to create some special memories on our last trip to the beach (it still pains me to go without him) and to the arboretum on his and my mom's 50th anniversary.  He was thrilled that he was able to make that very special milestone and was hoping for a few more.

It wasn't meant to be and he left us with the same  grace, courage, and good cheer (really - he said he'd lived a good long life and it was time to move on) with which he lived his life.

We miss him.

The article I wrote when my dad died, Without Hope We Have Nothing, is, sadly, as timely today as it was three and half years ago.  On the good news front though, the genetic blueprint for pancreatic cancer was decoded by a team at the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins in September.

This month is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and if you can give to help with research or awareness, please do.  Pancreatic Cancer is a particularly nasty cancer that few survive, and the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. 

Thank You Notes - Why Thank You Matters

Saying thank you is really important.  Here's why it matters - at least half of applicants don't send thank you letters after an interview, but, an Accountemps Survey reports that 88% percent of executives said they consider a thank you note important when evaluating candidates.

I'm not a whiz at math, but, it only takes a few minutes to write a thank you note or send an email thank you, so you can see the benefits outweigh the time it takes to write a note.

If you're not sure what to write, simply take one of my thank you letter samples and edit them to reflect your situation. 

And if you need additional letter samples, WriteExpress.com has a good selection of employment and business letter samples and templates.

How to Prepare for a Job Interview

Here's the latest in our series of interview videos:

You can see them all, and brush up on your job interview skills, here:
http://video.about.com/careers.htm

Best Answers to Interview Questions

Typical interview questions include What is your greatest strength? and What is your greatest weakness?, which, by the way, you should turn into a positive response rather than admitting to a weakness.  

What about all the other interview questions you'll be asked.  Here's a selection of the best answers to  interview questions, along with some of the most difficult interview questions you'll be asked. Also, if you have a tough interview question you've been asked, here's how to add it to the list.