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IS
YOUR JOB SEARCH EFFORT SLACKING?
By Quick
and Affordable Resumes
Many job seekers do not realize that their approach to
finding a job is passive in comparison to what they
should be doing.
Do
you think is it enough to post, email or fax your resume
in response to an online job opening? If you answered
yes, your job search effort may be slacking.
It
doesn't seem quite fair. After all, the company or
staffing agency advertised that there is a current job
opening; they suggested how to apply for the position;
and you followed their instructions to the letter. But,
you never heard from anyone.
That is expected for a few opportunities, but is a real
concern when you do not get responses from any one of
the dozens of great leads that you sent your resume to
in the last two months.
It
is not necessarily because you are not qualified or are
doing anything wrong. There are many reasons why this is
happening. First, you may have a lot of competition in a
very tight job market. Maybe the company hired
internally.
If
the job opening was posted on the company's own website,
maybe the vacancy announcement is old and their
Webmaster hasn't removed it from the website yet.
Maybe the job opening was posted by a a headhunter that
is collecting candidates for future openings that are
similar. This way they do not waste time finding the
right talent when the hiring company asks them to find
qualified candidates.
Sometimes it is not enough to limit your job search to
an online search. You really need to be strategic in
today's downturned job market. You must think outside of
the box and be creative and aggressive.
For example, you do not need to wait for a job opening
to be announced. If you are interested in a particular
company, you should make the first move.
As
long as you understand the types of positions that are
available that match your experience, skills and
credentials, you should contact the HR Department to
request that they keep you on file in the likelihood
something becomes available in the future.
There are a few advantages to this approach. First, they
will see that you are ambitious and are the type of
person who likes to take the initiative. Secondly, you
might be contacting them at a time when they need to
fill a position. In this case, you are saving them time,
advertising costs and resources.
Regardless of the job search strategy, you should always
include a cover letter to establish a rapport with the
reader. It is important that you explain why you feel
you would be a good fit for their company. Too often job
seekers do not make the extra effort to research a
company to learn more about them. They send the same
letter to every company. Sadly, they end up with the
same disappointing response.
Do
not limit your job search effort to one method. Mix it
up. Contact companies directly, speak with your friends,
family members and neighbors to let them know you are
looking for a job.
Use the Internet to research companies and to post your
resume online. If you can join a group for your industry
that meets monthly to network, take advantage of that
opportunity to expand your contacts.
Once you do succeed in getting an interview, make sure
you have researched the company as if it were your own
and diligently prepare for the interview.
Start by understanding what you have to offer so it can
be expressed in the interview. Last but not least, send
thank you notes to whomever interviewed you to express
your strong interest in the company and position. In
your note, remind them of what was discussed in the
interview to jog their memory.
Remember, a little extra job search effort is not only
critical in today's tight job market, it will eventually
pay off.
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