Sometimes it's very easy to overlook the obvious, regardless of your situation. When job searching, candidates are focused on the very big picture and loose site of the obvious and simple things. Here's a few tips that have huge impact on your success if they are not overlooked and neglected.
Voicemail/Phone Messages.
It's rather difficult for someone to return a job candidate's phone call when they can't understand the phone number (or worse yet, there is no phone number, or no area code!). Most people state their phone number so rapidly, it's impossible to understand it. Have you had this happen to you?
No one likes to listen to a message over and over to figure out a phone number. Bottom-line, state your phone number very slowly .... take a quick breath between each number & repeat it twice -- at the beginning so no one has to listen to a L-O-N-G message several times to write down the number. Repeat it at the end of your message.
"This is JoAnn Nix, 1-800-265-6901. I'm returning your call from this morning. My number is 1-800-265-6901. It's best to reach me between 1-4 Central Time today."
Don't assume someone will know your area code. If this person doesn't know you and yet you live in the same city, your odds of receiving a return phone message will be greater if you leave your area code. Make it easy for the other person to call you.
Get to the Point!
Be succinct! Do not ramble! Don't fill the voice message with non-important information. Write down your message if necessary. People do not have time nor patience to listen to long rambling messages that have no value or content. Be very precise.
State Your Name
Many people have a difficult time understanding people's names. State your name very clearly and spell it if necessary. Many names sound alike. It's really bad to return someone's call and you don't even know their name because you could not understand what they were saying.
Sending a Resume - Follow Up
Be aggressive. Period! If you send out a resume, then follow up, follow up, follow up. Do whatever you possibly can to talk to someone who has the power to hire you or speak to someone in HR. Whatever you need to do, convince someone to go get your resume out of the stack and start the wheels of progress moving in your favor. Be B-O-L-D... pick up the phone and talk to someone in the company. Many of my clients do this and guess what.... they get interviews! Take action.
Don't Rely on the Internet!!
This is by far the single most damaging thing a job seeker can do. The odds of getting an interview is one in a million. Your resume is only one of several thousand. Companies are simply not going to print out or read thousands of resumes on a daily basis, it's just not going to happen.
So what do you do instead? You network :) 86% of people receive interviews and job offers this way. If you want to use the Internet, only devote 1 or 2 hours a NIGHT doing this and then devote the daytime hours to networking. The payoffs are handsome! :)
These are just a couple of quick tips that can have a profound impact in your job search. If you have any questions, let me know. JoAnn Nix, info@agreatresume.com, 1-800-265-6901
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