By Mario Churchill
The race for employment nowadays is neck-and-neck, and it's important to come up with solid ways to market yourself out there and land the job, or at the very least, an interview. When applying for any position, it's important to note that you will be one prospect among tens or hundreds. In that case, how do you sell yourself so that prospective employees will take notice?
The answer, of course, is a good resume. A "good" resume doesn't only entail work experience. Landing a job is also about selling yourself; landing a job is an exercise in marketing. A lot of money is spent on marketing nowadays -- research shows that products with the most recall power have a higher chance of being bought. Marketing tactics can be applied on the job market.
1. Of course, a good resume is always recommended, one that is filled with good contacts, a nice history of work experience, and notable citations if any. A well-designed resume also goes a long way.
2. What a resume can't tell a prospective employer is how passionate a person is about a certain job. That's what cover letters are for; a chance to get your foot in the door, a pitch to a potential employer. Be direct and enthusiastic about it.
3. Make sure you are addressing the right person. Send your resume to the person who is responsible for hiring new employees. "To whom it may concern" is not the most appealing and attractive way to go. Addressing people directly, and at least spelling names correctly, already shows that you are professional and that you did your research, so points for that.
4. Once you've sent your cover letter and resume to that specific person in charge of hiring, send it again. There's nothing wrong with being persistent and assertive. If anything, it marks those exact characteristics that employers are looking for in prospectives. Sending another cover letter and resume mathematically doubles chances of scoring an interview. You're likely to get noticed the second time around. Your name will ring a bell and strike a sense of deja vu -- it's just deja vu, but those extra moments of thought will give you an advantage. Besides, it's no trouble at all on either side for you to send another cover letter and resume.
5. Send your resumes even to the companies that aren't hiring. This way, you won't be competing against others. Potential employees will keep you at the back of their minds should a need to hire arise. Besides, not all companies shout out job openings from the top of a mountain -- they either promote someone who already works in the company or other workers refer people they already know. Sending your resumes to companies that have not announced job openings is an untapped market with a lot of potential.
6. Of course, the internet is a great place to post your resume. It's preferable to make a website with your resume on it and update it regularly. Potential employers will then always have ready access to an updated resume even when you have emailed them a long time ago. Also, many employers don't open email attachments, because of virus risks. You can also submit your resume to job databases on the internet. You might just be the perfect match for an employer.
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on resume distribution or a job finder service checkout his recommended websites.
Source:www.isnare.com |
