Jobs are everywhere you look! A simple search on indeed.com will produce thousands of jobs that you may be qualified for depending on your skill set. With so many jobs available, you should have no problem gaining employment right? Wrong!
Keep in mind that you are also one of thousands of applicants, so it is important to make yourself stand out.
A great resume.
This goes without saying, but you wouldn’t believe how many professionals have terrible resumes. Your resume is king in the process. If a potential employer sees that you did not spend effort on your resume then why should they believe you would approach your job responsibilities any better? A rule of thumb is that you should spend at minimum 1-day’s worth of salary on having someone fine tune your resume. 1 day of pay certainly isn’t much of an investment on your future. Visit our friends at ResumePundits.com if you are looking for a reasonable resume service.
Be a person!
Don’t take the lazy approach and submit your application and wait by the phone. Chances are, it won’t be ringing anytime soon. Sure, it is important to apply online, but don’t stop there. In this electronic world the power of being personable will go a long way. If the companies that you are applying for are local, take some time and visit them. Take your resume with you, walk inside and ask to speak to the person hiring for the job you applied for. If you can meet them, introduce yourself and give them your resume. If the receptionist is being stubborn and won’t call the person to the front desk, then leave the resume with them and ask to pass it along. Not only does this show ambition, it also bypasses the resume screeners that typically don’t even know what the manager really wants.
Utilize your networks.
No, not your Facebook or LinkedIn accounts, but the people you’ve gained great relationships with along the way. Remember Tim that moved to the competitor last fall? Give him a call. He has a direct link to the hiring managers and can put in a good word for you. He may also know of jobs that are coming open before they get posted. Make a list of all of the people you know and where they work. You’d be surprised in the value of connecting with old coworkers in industry specialties.
