Let’s hear it for New York…..and Los Angeles...and Philadelphia - three of the largest and most desired cities to work in the country. Eva Wasko, Director of Public Relations at Allen & Gerritsen has had the opportunity to work in all three throughout her career. Upon graduating from Kutztown University, Wasko landed her first job in none other than the Big Apple. Working first for Parasol Marketing Group on ivy league hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton and Phulay Bay, Wasko worked her way through agency experience, jumping on an opportunity at Cohn & Wolfe that eventually led her to Los Angeles. While at Cohn & Wolfe, Eva worked on big name consumer brands that included 3M, Dunkin’ Donuts, Ford and many more. Wasko brought her talents and experience to the Philadelphia office of Allen & Gerritsen almost three years ago where she has continued to work on a variety of clients and secure huge wins for them. As a professional with this much experience and might I say ~clout~, Eva knows a thing or two on how to land an interview and secure the job.
Beginning her presentation with sharing her tips on how to first secure an interview, Eva shared two points everyone should take.
1. Perfect the art of a resume
Resumes are the first impressions hiring managers have of a candidate. If there are spelling errors, grammatical errors or even format errors, your chance of being invited to interview are slim.Therefore, Eva emphasized the importance of proofreading your resume and even having others proofread it. An additional tip Eva shared - be creative! No one likes a standard black and white resume. We’re in an industry that allows us to be creative - allow your resume to show that off!
2. Cover letters are not history
Cover letters are your chance to “brand yourself” as Wasko explained. This is the part of the application where you can show your personality to the hiring manager and tell them a story that will make them want to interview you right away. In a day and age where being “extra” is accepted, make sure your cover letter is as extra as you are - professionally speaking.
So now that the interview has been secured, Eva went on to discuss how to ace the interview by sharing the following tips:
1. Think big picture
This is the time to be yourself. Tell the interviewer what you have done in the past and how it will lead you to succeed in the role you want. “We put bullet points under job descriptions for a reason. If you check them off -we want to know,” Wasko stated. Thinking big picture gives you the opportunity to tell the interviewer what bullet points you have checked off and makes it easier for the interview to know what you are capable of.
2. Strut your stuff
Piggy-backing off thinking big picture, telling the employer what you have done might not be enough. This is where you show them what you have done. Secured a placement in a local newspaper? Show them the clipping. Have a former boss that can speak to your achievements? Show them where they can contact them to learn more. It’s not bragging, it’s simply showing them what you're able to do and how you can benefit the company.
Congrats! You’ve successfully aced the interview - but as Eva stated “the interview is not over until the spot is filled.” During the time frame of your interview and when the job is offered, Eva shared the importance of sending personal thank you cards to those who interviewed you. Aside from thank you cards, she encouraged follow-ups. “While you might think we find it annoying, it helps us. We’re able to see who is more interested in the position and ultimately makes our lives easier.”
Eva ended her presentation with three main points that can help anyone when searching for a job or internship:
1. Pay attention to detail
2. Go above and beyond
3. Be grateful
As a senior graduating in May, I am grateful to have had Eva speak to Temple PRSSA and share her tips on how to have a successful interview.
This blog post was written by Allison Eckel, Director of Mentorship.
Comments