Following up is not optional

Following up is not optional Following up is not optional during job search. It is mandatory! Instead of hoping youll hear back, these are things you can do to improve your odds of getting a response.     Youve applied for dozens if not hundreds of jobs online.   You havent heard back.   Join the club.   This is probably one of the biggest frustrations of job seekers.   So what can you do? Adapt Your Resume and Cover Letter Did you take the time to personalize, customize and make your cover letter and resume relevant for each of job posting? Can the employer clearly see (without having to think) how your experience relates to the job? Review the job posting line by line and highlight the wording theyve used that matches what youve done. Now, go back and make sure youve used that EXACT wording in your resume. As for your cover letter, you must show the company you are interested in working for them. Do you know people who like working there? Have you used their product or service? Does the company have a mission that aligns with your values? Its up to you to explain why you want to work there. Take Ownership Stop waiting. Take action. If you are really interested in any of the jobs you applied for, then take the time and effort to follow up with an email or phone call. The only way youll know whats going on with the job is if you follow up! A word of caution. Be sure you follow the instructions, for example, if the job posting said No calls please, that means you shouldnt call.   Looking for some advice on making these follow-up phone calls?   Read my post Follow-up Tactics. Find an Insider Talk to everyone you know and find someone who works for that company.   When you find someone who works there, ask them if they know about the job, its status, and who they might recommend you speak to.   Be super nice to them because you will want them to be an advocate for you or at least an informant. You might be able to find names of people to contact on the company website. You might be able to find the company and its employees on LinkedIn You might be able to read the companys blog to gather names or information You might be able to follow the company on Twitter Timelines SlipDont Give Up I read an article that suggested that job seekers give up if they havent heard back from an employer.   I would caution against this, especially if it is a job/company you are really interested in. Companies do not purposely keep applicants hanging.   There are many valid reasons why you havent heard from the company: timeline slips, priorities change or theyve put the job on hold for some reason. Dont give up. Find out from your information (company insider) whats going on! Feel Empowered, Not Victimized Sure the employer has what you wanta job.   But, what can you do to feel empowered?   Take action.   At least you can say and know that you did EVERYTHING possible.   Waiting isnt taking action.   One email isnt enough. Be pleasantly  persistent! Here is a post I wrote which addresses the fear of many, What will they think (you dont want to come across as aggressive or desperate, so how much is too much follow-up?)