A Job Search is a Job - The Number 1 Step to Win an Interview

Many of us have the wrong idea about the job search. We believe that our skills, the industry requirement for skills, and our dedication to hard work is enough. This is never the case and in today's environment this is even less so as you may be competing against dozens and sometimes hundreds of candidates for the same position. For those with some knowledge of statistics makes the process into something of a numbers game. The number 1 step you must take is to get on the numbers treadmill and start collecting interviews.

Human resources departments know they must have great sales representatives and the medical sales area is an intensely competitive business. Unfortunately, these people are sorting through reams of resumes of which yours is just one. Because of this, job hunters have to recognize they are playing not only a skills game but a numbers game where they need enough resumes, calls, and emails out there to rise to the top and in this case, the "top" equals an interview.

John Lucht has been a popular job search process writer for decades. He recommends sending out 1,000 resumes to get 8 interviews and 3 offers. In today's market, his numbers may even prove conservative. I realize this may seem impossible, but it is not. First, as a great sales person, you may have this many contacts already in your rolodex. Second, you can easily and at little cost develop the lists of companies and recruiters to get this ball rolling.

Begin by crafting a good cover letter that you can tailor to be specific to your search and start hunting down a list of recruiters and human resource contacts in the companies you will want to target. Next, create a powerful resume that says you are the hire with the experience, productivity, plan and attitude to fit a company's business goals. Next, make that all-important trip to the post office and office supply store to set your interview-winning effort in motion.

As you contact your prospective employers and recruiters, be sure to reach out in each media possible. Send the letter, make the call, fax the resume, send the email and preferably all of these when the opportunity exists to each source. Remember you have to be NOTICED before you will win the interview. Make being noticed a statistical certainty.

Additionally, ensure you have posted your resume on every single possible job board and that your LinkedIn profile is current and telling your story.

Sound impossible? Sound too difficult? I'm sure you've exerted far more effort winning sales from clients. And if you are out of work, this is your JOB. In a couple weeks, time you can have your resume in front of 1,000 or more individuals who can make step one - the Job Interview - a reality.