Mike
Carruthers:
In a job search - after you've sent in your resume
to apply for a job - should you follow up with a phone call?
Cynthia Shapiro:
Never call, never call! It ruins your celebrity factor, you go down in their estimation.
The truth is, if they love your resume they will move heaven and earth to call
you and track you down. Cynthia
Shapiro, author of the book What
Does Somebody Have to do to Get a Job Around Here?, says your resume likely
needs some attention. Your
resume has to be compelling enough to grab a hiring manager's attention in three
seconds or less. That is the average amount of time a hiring manager will spend
on your resume. So you should treat it like a billboard, not a boring biography
with lots of lists of items and objectives. And
how do you do that? By
putting an executive summary at the top of your resume instead of an objective
(although I wouldn't recommend labeling it that) but you can put in all your qualities,
what you're known for, how many years of experience, etc. and really provide a
foundation for all of the other information below it. And then give it to a friend
and have them scan it in three seconds and ask them what stands out. Cynthia
believes sending a thank-you note after a job interview is a great idea. You
can do it via email or do it handwritten (I actually like handwritten because
it stands out) but that's not the place to redo a question you weren't happy with
or convey your enthusiasm for the job - that has to be done in the interview;
it's too late in the thank-you note. You
can link to Cynthia's website from
ours: somethingyoushouldknow.net
- I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.
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