HAPPY VALENTINES

Of all the holidays, this is one many would like to simply blow off. Okay, I’ll say it…more males would probably prefer to blow off. For obvious monetary reasons, Valentine’s Day can be a real stretch inside the wallet for anyone presently unemployed or underemployed. To that end, as my V-Day gift for anyone needing a job “yesterday” or wanting a better job today, I decided to research information that a person fervently seeking gainful employment day to day, pounding the pavement with yet little progress, might need to know or at least find useful.

CONNECTIONS

Remember: it is not what you know sometimes, as much as it is who you know.

Professional networking can be a huge asset in getting a “foot in the door,” so to speak. Or, at the very least, it can make all the difference in getting your resume to the HR Director or whoever is making the decision to hire new personnel. How does one do that? Go to job fairs or join a professional organization with members who may be in the same industry you are hoping to land a job with. If that fails, think back (or even go back if possible) to the career office within the institution you graduated from, and speak to a career counselor who may just know someone or at least have a name within a company you are considering applying to.

RESUMES and APPLICATIONS

Your first objective is getting an interview. How? Unlike the old days, today the more information you manage to provide, the better your chances are. More often than not, applications are sent over the internet via web forms asking candidates very specific information. One addition you can do is to send in a cover letter with your application. Yes, even if one is not asked for or required. The only time you should not is if you are instructed not to send a cover letter. But sending one can offer more information and hopefully give the person in charge of hiring a favorable impression. What if there is not a space indicating a resume letter is being sent? That’s tricky. It’s also a time when you will need to make a decision “to send or not to send,” and keep in mind it could make the difference in whether your application is noticed and remembered or is taken out completely because it means you don’t follow directions.

DECIDING TO SEND A COVER LETTER

Should you decide to send a cover letter, for pity’s sake, send a cover letter that is specific to the job you are applying for. A generic cover letter that fits any type of job from zoo keeper to CEO of a major corporation is comparable to telling the hiring manager you didn’t a) think the job was worth the effort to explain why you want to work for THIS particular company versus any company offering a similar job or b) how your skills and experience can benefit this company as an employee.

BE THE FROSTING ON THE CAKE

Make an effort to promptly send a brief but sincere thank-you card or note after each interview. Thank your interviewer for their time and remember to sneak in something you learned about the company during the interview. It isn’t brownie points you are after, so don’t be patronizing, but mention something that will give the impression you feel the company or organization would not only benefit by having you, but that you would benefit more with the opportunity to work there. And if possible without adding great length to the note, try to recall something unique the hiring manager said (or even that you may have said) that will help him or her easily recall which applicant you were. Keep in mind that you want to be a standout, but only in a favorable way!

ALWAYS FOLLOW UP

Once you have sent in an application but have not heard back about an interview, it won’t hurt to find out for certain if whomever you sent it to actually received it. Applications on occasion do get lost, never to be seen or heard of. Call or email to ask about the status of the job opening. If it has been filled, ask if there is a possibility another opening may be coming soon. If for some reason your application did get lost, at least they will know you are interested and may ask you to submit it again. You can never be certain if the person they decided to hire will work out. If you remind them you were interested, it might help the next time around.

Best of luck, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

** Compiled Information found posted at on Targetjobs; Job Search and Google “Ehow.”