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Have the Right Tools for Your Employment Search

Following Up is an Important Part of Your Job Search

Sep 5, 2008 Paym Bergson

Finding employment takes a lot of effort and time. Ensure you have the right tools to achieve a successful ending - getting a job.

You've sent out resume after resume, so why aren't you getting any calls or any job offers?

Get Organized

Sending out more than one resume means you need a system to ensure you take advantage of any and every possible opportunity. Get a separate book, (or use a pad of paper) to be able to record every potential job possibility. Divide the page into columns with the following headings:

Date sent - Position - Company info - what sent (name of file(s)) - how sent - closing date - Follow up - Interview

Ensure you leave lots of room for Position, Company info, and especially for Follow up. Note that Follow up will actually be further subdivided. Now, for every resume you send out, record the information. Put as much info as you can for Position and Company info - not just the title of the position, but any other identifying information. You might even want to mark it as to how your qualifications match the description. Use as many lines as needed within that column area. Do not just try and fit one job application to one line.

Follow up is a separate category, for very important reasons. Here is where you start being proactive instead of just waiting and hoping you get a call back or a reply. You'll need to divide this again - into sub categories of date and action. Keep it simple so it makes sense to you.

Follow Up

Now comes the hard part - actually doing the follow up! Put the date you are doing a follow up in the appropriate area for each job you sent in some kind of application/resume. Note the closing date for the position, if any. Many positions will state "we thank all applicants, but only those qualified for an interview will be contacted" or something similar. Don't be afraid though to just call and confirm that your resume was received. Mark down what you did, when you did, and the reaction. If someone bit your head off for calling, instead of just being polite and saying something to the effect that it would be impossible to verify that information, do you want to work there?

Try to find out the name of the person going over the resumes, and state why. You want to find out what you need to improve on in your job search, should you not get an interview. For example, do you need more experience for this posted job, or more education, or the candidates just had a better match? Most people will understand this concern. State you want to send an email, so the person can respond on his/her own time.

Record!

Record every bit of information in the Follow up section - what you did, if you got a response, and if you tried again. You might also want to write quick thank you's to anyone who took the time to help you; record that as well.

When you get an interview - mark the date and how it went in your Interview section. Consider having a separate sheet for interviews. You should also have a Follow up section for every Interview - did you send a thank you? Did you find out when a decision might be made, and did you follow up after that date?

Bottom Line

Having the right tools to get organized in your job search will help you land that job! Following up on any job leads is the key - so keep a detailed record of your job search and follow up.

The copyright of the article Have the Right Tools for Your Employment Search in Career Advice is owned by Paym Bergson. Permission to republish Have the Right Tools for Your Employment Search in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.