You have spent time and money honing your resume to perfection. You have developed and personalized countless cover letters. You are diligent in the time you devote to your focused and planful job search. So why isn't your phone ringing off the hook? Three reasons:
Follow up. Follow up. Follow up.
Why is follow up crucial to a job search that hopes to end in a job offer?
- It is important to ensure that your resume or application was received and by the right person. Just because the computer based application system says doesn't mean it has been received. More importantly it doesn't mean that it has been received by the right person. Why leave this to chance? A simple call can result in even more than verifying your resumes receipt.
- Following up on your application will make you stand out from the other applicants. The prospective employer will have no doubt you want the job and that you are organized and proactive. These are messages that all job seekers want to send to be considered for an interview.
- When you follow up, it gives you the opportunity to find out who is handling the hiring and what the hiring process is. If you are able to talk to someone you can even ask for an interview. Even if you don't get that far, you can often get enough information to research the interviewer or plan your next follow up.
Some of the most common reasons job seekers give for not following up are:
- The ad specifically states, :NO PHONE CALLS." The ad doesn't say "No emails," "No in person visits," "No snail mail," or "No faxes." Figure out a way to reach any person at the company to make sure they have a face and/or a voice to go with your resume or application.
- Job seekers don't want to "annoy" the employer or seem "pushy." You shouldn't be rude when you are following up and you won't annoy the employer or seem pushy. Acknowledge that the employer (whomever you reach there) is surely very busy, but you do want to be sure that your resume was received. Could they double check?
- Some searchers are uncomfortable using the telephone - fake it or follow up in another way. A post card can sometimes be ideal. There is nothing for the employer to open, your short note with a link to your resume is all you need to include to ensure it is received.
- Many site not wanting to be stalk or harass the employer. Don't call every hour or every day. Leave a message if necessary then follow up with a different method or wait a couple of days to call again. Persistence usually pays off.
The goal to any type of follow up is to verify you are being considered, get as much information as possible, make yourself stand out and get an interview. If nothing else, you will get a great deal of satisfaction out of knowing you are doing everything you can to get a job.
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