In addition to sending your resume to companies that have advertised positions, you should also be sending it to:
- Companies who have not advertised but who are a match for your perfect position—let them know you are interested and available.
- Personal contacts, especially those who are willing to talk to their contacts about your job search. They need the right information to make an impression.
- Professional contacts, such as insurance agents, lawyers, financial advisors, mortgage broker or anyone else who has multiple contacts with professional clients. These individuals often solve problems; if that includes finding the right candidate for an open position, they will certainly pass along your name.
- Work contacts, including current and past co-workers and managers, retirees, customers, vendors, and suppliers. Depending on how discrete you need to be (for example, depending on whether a layoff has already been announced), your work contacts are excellent sources of information on open positions.
- Educational contacts, including people you met at seminars, current and former classmates and teachers, and college career center staff.
- Community contacts, including the local chamber of commerce and civic leaders.
- Recruiters. You can find lists of recruiters online by industry, geographic area or keywords. Try to contact recruiters personally to avoid wasting their time and yours if you are not a match for the companies they work with and not likely to be one.
Most advertisements or online job listings specify a physical or email address to send your resume to, as well as a job reference number that must appear in the letter or in the subject line of an email. You should make sure that you follow through on all information provided by the company or recruiter as to where and how to submit your resume—and if the advertisement specifies no phone calls, do not telephone.
As a member of the National Career Development Association and a certified Master Career Director, Electronic Career Coach and Job and Career Transition Coach, I can help make sure that you are sending your resume to the right people in the right way. Contact me today.
