Blog Post: Jump Start Your Job Search

I speak to about 25 job seekers a day that are experiencing some type of challenge with their job search.  That translates to over 6,500 job seekers per year.  And I am just one of the millions of professional resume writers in North America .  My point in stating the figures is to let you know that you are not one of the few, but quite the contrary; you are one of the many.  I love talking to these people because there are simple fixes that I am able to share with them to solve some very common job search problems. 

So let’s start with the resume.  Sometimes it's the resume, sometimes it’s not. But it is the first place to start. Most reputable resume firms offer a free, no obligation resume critique service, so why not take advantage of it.  You will receive free advice and are under no obligation to pay to have your resume rewritten.  I must say that if you do not feel confident that you can implement the changes that the resume writer has advised you to make, then it is best to have a professional rewrite your resume. It's an investment, but if it helps you land a job then it pays for itself in the long run.  A word of wisdom: If you are going to have your resume developed by a professional resume writer make sure they back up their work with a service guarantee.         

If you have posted your resume to job boards without much success, try this.  Review a dozen job ads you are interested in and identify the employer’s minimum qualifications and desired qualifications. These are the keywords that employers will be using to search the resume database for candidates that match the job descriptions they are working to fill.  Once you have identified these keywords weave the ones that apply to you into your resume.  This is very simple and very effective.  You see if your resume is sitting in a resume database without relevant keywords chances are you are not receiving hits.  The more hits your resume receives the better chance you have of your resume being viewed by a human reader.

When you send out a resume, take the time to find out who the hiring manager is and pick up the phone and call them.  Hiring managers appreciate employees with great follow-through skills.  You simply say: Hello, my name is Ryan Smith and I emailed/faxed/mailed my resume for the position of Store Manager and I wanted to make sure that you received it.  Guess what?  The hiring manager will check to see if they have it.  So now your resume is out of the stack and in the hands of the hiring manager.  It's that simple!  But why stop there?  Ask if there are any questions that you can answer for them at this time.  If their answer is yes, you now have a telephone interview.  Next, express your enthusiasm in learning more about the job requirements and ask for a face-to-face interview!  For those of you out there reading this that are afraid to pick up the phone and call, ask yourself this one little question. What do I have to lose?