Monday, July 27, 2009

After you have sent in your resume....what next?


You’ve spent the last week sending out your resume to several companies and have yet to hear back. Lack of feedback can make you discouraged but just because they aren't calling doesn't mean they aren't interested. The hiring manager or the HR manager may be on vacation or they could be involved in some other issues the company. It's not uncommon for hiring managers of a company to become so busy that they don’t get screening resumes for a month. So don't let this discourage you.

There are some steps that you can take. That is following up after submitting a your resume. It’s recommended. I believe that most hiring manager expect follow up contact you. Why?
1. Because it demonstrates initiative and interest in a position,
2. You can verify that your resume was received and not lost in a spam filter somewhere.
3. it can help you stand out in the crowd of qualified candidates.


That is following up after submitting a your resume. It’s recommended. I believe that most hiring manager expect follow up contact you. Why?

1. Because it demonstrates initiative and interest in a position,
2. You can verify that your resume was received and not lost in a spam filter somewhere and
3. it can help you stand out in the crowd of qualified candidates.

What's the best way to follow up with prospective employers? There’s no one-size-fits-all formula, but here a couple of pointers:

When should I Check back? Following up too quickly may annoy hiring managers, but letting too much time elapse can cause them to forget about you. Most executives recommend contacting the company within two weeks of sending a resume. That's approximately the length of time hiring managers need to review application materials and get back in touch with candidates.

What is the best way to follow up? E-mail, phone, and a handwritten note all are acceptable forms of communicating with hiring managers.. E-mail can be a useful tool for reminding recruiters that you've applied for the job and for resubmitting your resume without seeming too pushy. Alternatively, if you have the hiring manager's name and phone number, you may have luck with a follow-up phone call. Just make sure to rehearse what you will say beforehand, and call when you think the person is likely to be free. (Early morning and late afternoon are typically good times to phone.)
Keep your conversation brief, and only leave a message if you've gotten the hiring manager's voice mail at least two times. Finally, a personalized note is another way to express genuine interest in the job and to indicate that you're not submitting blanket resumes; just realize you may have to be a bit more patient in receiving a response.

What should I do if I applied for a job online and there is no contact information?
Do a Google search for the company to identify a name of the HR, recruiting manager or even the department manager of the department manager you believe the job is located , search the company on linkend in, often a vey complete listing of the departmental managers are listed. Or occasionally you can call the company switchboard and ask the receptionist to speak to the person in charge of the job opening for which you applied.

Finally, If no contact information is available, you can at least send a follow-up e-mail to the same address to which you sent your resume.

What points should I communicate? You want to follow up to see that your resume was received and In addition you want to express continued interest in the position, you should reiterate the value they can bring to the organization by citing specific professional accomplishments and in-demand skills they possess. These examples should relate in some way to the requirements of the open position. Often, a short, simple message is enough to prompt a hiring manager to take a closer look at your application materials. If you don't receive a response after all your efforts, at least you can rest easy knowing you did everything in your power to make it happen.


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