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Finding a Literary Agent

      So you want to get published? I’m not about to say getting published is easy because it’s not. It takes talent, dedication and getting your work in the hands of the right people. So how is it done?

      First, be sure that the story you’re submitting is free of grammatical or spelling errors. Try letting a few friends read and comment on your work as they will be able to pinpoint any typos or plot problems. The business of books is a tough world to enter and hence you must review and revise your work at least a hundred times before being confident enough to send it to a literary agent.

      Choosing one is another matter. You have to look for one who publishes your genre. Literature covers as many topics from romance to sci-fi to non-fiction and submitting sci-fi creation to romance literary agent would bring down the “possibility to get published” percentage to an all time low. Check out what kind of books they have previously published, you could try logging on to the internet for this kind of information since the World Wide Web practically allows access to anything.

      When you have finally chosen an agent, formulate an inquiry letter. The letter should contain your genre, publishing history, educational background and other credentials that could relate to the type of your book. Also, it is polite to include where you have picked the literary agent’s name. Don’t make the inquiry letter too long, one page should do it. Be very wary of grammatical and typographical errors as you are writing to a literary agent, words are their business.

      The longest step: waiting. It would take more or less a month before an agent could get back at you or before you can call and follow up on your query. Prepare the few chapter plus an outline in the event that the agent is interested.

Handling an Interview-slash-Lunch

`       So you’re due for a job interview, but as it turns out, your prospective employer wants it done over lunch. It may seem simple, right? After all, gaining sustenance is a basic necessity in any life. However, a job interview over lunch isn’t just lunch, it’s a strategy employed by some employers to evaluate a prospective employee. Ergo, how you order, what you order, how you eat and a million other things are usually used to judge your character. As a rule, you can’t really pinpoint what the employer wants to see, however, there are safe zones that may help you during the ordeal.

Requesting a Reference

So you’re moving on to greener pasture and would like a little help from the former boss? A reference, nicely made, could land you that position you’ve been mooning over. This article would help you to get that reference that would eventually land you your “dream job”.

First, a reference should be asked for when you leave a job, not when you find one that is asking for a reference. Why? Because regardless of how outstanding you were at your former place of employment, memory is a fickle thing and so it is always better to obtain one while employers still know what skills of yours should be endorsed.

Next, you may or may not write your reference letter. You could try asking your former employer if s/he wants to author the recommendation. However, to best put your accomplishments on spot light, it is better if you write the letter and just let your former employer sign it. This would save him/her the time of making one while the contents of the letter is left to your discretion. Remember that we are talking about references that you have obtained prior to applying for a new job. That’s why it is important that before submitting a reference name, you should contact first your references so that they would know what to expect when the prospective employer calls on them since a considerable time has passed between the reference and the application.

Regardless of whether you got the job or not, it is important to convey your appreciation for the recommendation. You could send a note or call personally, the important thing is that you have said thank you for the favor. This is a way of maintaining good relationship, allowing the former employer to be accommodating the next time another reference need comes up.

Furnishing a Positive Reference

Providing a positive reference for an employee is not only done for the obvious purpose of endorsing the worker to new management, it also serves as a “pat on the back” for a job well done during his or her stay under your administration. This article would help you – the boss – to go about the duty (or privilege, however you see it) of making that recommendation in behalf of your former employee.

First of all, if you belong in a company, check out first the policies concerning recommendations. There could be restrictions on the amount of information you are allowed to provide. When you ascertain just what you may or may not divulge, you can now go on from there.

It’s entirely your choice if you want to write the letter of recommendation yourself or leave it to the former employee requesting one. Either way, make sure to check the letter before ultimately signing it. You don’t want errors on a correspondence that has your signature on it. Your contact number is almost always specified in the letter and thus, expect a call from the would be employer. When s/he finally calls, focus your verbal comments on the employees overall performance. Basically, the “new employer” would want to hear what you yourself wanted to know: Is the employee effective? For that reason, put a spotlight on your assessment on his/her contributions to the company.

Lastly, don’t close doors, especially if the former employee is an esteemed co-worker. Sometimes, the circumstances of separation would make an employer apprehensive in dishing out a letter of recommendation. That’s understandable, the situation often varies and there isn’t one solution for all types of setting. Hence, some letters of recommendation would be left to you – the employers – discretion.