2009's Most Desirable Employers

BusinessWeek just posted the 2009 most desirable employers.  Here are the 10 most popular employers:

1. Google
2. Walt Disney
3. Apple Computer
4. US State Department
5. FBI
6. Ernst & Young
7. Peace Corps
8. NASA
9. PricewaterhouseCoopers
10. Teach for America

Here's a fascinating observation: non-profit and government positions are becoming more desirable.  Even beyond the top 10, employers such as the CIA, American Cancer Society, and the US Department of Energy are becoming more popular among job seekers.

Little Known Ways to An Effective Cover Letter

Harry Joiner offers a detailed 10 point analysis of a fantastic cover letter. Most cover letters are absolutely terrible, but this cover letter (and Harry's analysis) definitely grabbed grabbed my attention.

How to Ask Questions at the End of a Job Interview

Jobing.Com has a great blog post on questions to avoid during the end of a job interview.  Here's my advice on the topic:

• Ask good questions.  The interviewer may judge you based on the questions you ask. For instance, don't ask "What does the company do?"  Instead, do you research before the interview.
• Ask open ended questions. Stay away from questions that elicit yes/no answers from the interviewer. The information will have limited usefulness, and it'll break down momentum and rapport between you and the interviewer.
• Keep it positive. Don't raise sensitive or controversial topics. For instance, the interview is not the best time to inquire why 2,000 people were laid off last week.
• Don't assume you have the job. Don't ask about vacation time or other corporate benefits. You may come across as arrogant because your questions assume that you have the job. Save those questions until after you've received the job offer.

How to Handle Illegal Interview Questions

Did you know that it's illegal for hiring mangers to ask you questions about your age, sex, religion, or race?  Karen Burns recently posted JobWeb's list of illegal interview questions. Check it out.

How Microsoft's Steve Ballmer Hires Great People

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, talks about hiring best practices.  Here are my favorite takeaways from the article:

• Use behavioral interviewing techniques. Steve Ballmer agrees with most hiring managers: past success is the best predictor for future success.
• Check those references. Ignore the skeptics. Checking references is a valuable data point. References can say nice things at first, but if dig deep enough, you'll get the real scoop on what the candidates are really like. If you still feel like you're not getting the straight story, here's a tip from one of my favorite Kellogg professors, William White: ask the reference to recommend more references. The idea is that the new set of references won't be ringers for the candidate.
• Hire for talent and passion. Talent and IQ is not enough. The person has to be passionate about the job. Why is Ballmer obsessed with passion? It's a way to detect whether an employee will be committed, motivated, and tenacious on the job. And if you're a Malcolm Gladwell fan, you'll know the 10,000 hour rule: commitment, motiviation, and tenacity separates those who are succesful and those who are not.

How to Research a Company Before the Interview

The Wall Street Journal has an article on how to research a company before an interview. I love the interview tips, and here are my two favorite points from the article:

• Talk to somebody at the company before the interview. Using LinkedIn, see if you or your friends know anyone at the company. Do a quick informational interview and get an insider's perspective on the position, company culture, and the hiring process. Hiring managers love it when they hear you took an extra effort to research the company, so do point that out during the interview. It shows you really want the job.
• Focus on the positive not the negative. During the interview, stay away from unflattering topics such as, "I heard your company just laid off 200 people.  What's morale like?" Or "I did some research on your leading product, and here are 10 reasons why you are not #1 in your industry." These questions put an interviewer on the defensive and increases the likelihood your interview will become confrontational. There's a time and place for these types of questions, and an interview is not it.

How to Answer "What would your last supervisor say about you?"

One of my favorite bloggers, Kristi Daeda, has an excellent article on how to answer "What would your last supervisor say about you?"  I can't think of anything to add; she nailed the response.

7 Secrets to Informational Interviews

Read my guest blog post on 7 Secrets to Informational Interviews over at Careerealism. Feel free to leave any comments over there.