Resume Strategy 101: How To Get That Job

You think you've found your dream job. You spot thePhone With a Friendly Reminder
job posting, tweak your resume and e-mail it to theIf you decide to follow up on a resume over the
recruiter. Then the waiting game begins. After you'vephone, be sure to rehearse what you want to say to
sent a resume, it's tempting to sit back and hope thethe recruiter.
recruiter will call. But -- make no mistake -- It's YOUKeep it short and sweet. Introduce yourself and remind
that should follow up. You just need to figure outthe recruiter that you submitted a resume recently.
when and how to do it.Make sure you state exactly what job you're
Wait a Week, Recruiters Sayinterested in. You can also ask if they received your
The ideal amount of time to wait before following upresume and if they're still considering candidates for
on a resume you've sent: One week. The majority ofthe position.
recruiters say candidates should wait one weekIf you get a recorded message, you may want to call
before following up. Some recruiters recommend youagain later. Call a few times in hopes of speaking with
act sooner, less than one week after submitting youra real, live recruiter before resorting to leaving a
resume. Still other recruiters say that you should waitmessage. You also need to know even to put down
for them to call you.the phone. Calling recruiters repeatedly isn't going to
Your best bet? Go with the majority opinion and waitmake them more likely to call you back. It's probably
a week.just going to irritate them. Almost half of recruiters
Send a Short E-Mail Messageclaim that their biggest pet peeve is candidates who
E-mail is a great follow-up tool because it not only letskeep calling them.
you remind the recruiter that you've applied for a job,Should You Just Resend Your Resume?
but it also lets you submit a resume again withoutHave a few weeks passed since you sent a resume
seeming too pushy. A week after you've submitted aand you still haven't heard from the recruiter? Are you
resume, send the recruiter an e-mail to follow up.considering simply reapplying for the position? Don't.
Follow these tips to write your follow-up e-mail:Recruiters usually keep resumes on file, and they'll likely
Put your full name and the title of the position you'vediscover that you've already sent one. Worse, they
applied for in the subject line.may think that you didn't even realize that you'd
Write a professional note that reiterates youralready applied for a position.
qualifications and interest in the job.Only resend your resume to a recruiter when you
Attached your resume again. (Don't make the recruiterwant to apply for a different position at a company.
have to dig though old e-mails to look for it.)Otherwise, you should e-mail or call to follow up. This
Include your full name in the file name of your resume.should be your game plan for landing that job.
Proofread carefully before you hit "Send"!A typo canAnd by all means, if you haven't already done so - file
kill your chances of getting your foot in the door.for unemployment.