3 Ways to Maximize Your Internet Job Search

You follow instructions completing online applications, faxing resumes, emailing resumes, and you never hear a word. It is frustrating and even depressing submitting resumes and getting no responses. Unfortunately, technology has the potential to make you feel like your job search is completely impersonal. You may feel lost in cyberspace. The media has even recently been reporting about people who have simply given up the job search in despair.

The following efforts not only increase your chances with an employer but they also prevent you from feeling a loss of control over your job search. Feeling powerless breeds a negative attitude. Your projection of a positive attitude when meeting with employers is so crucial that it can make or break your employment potential.

First, ensure you are submitting the correct type of resume. For uploading to websites, you need to use a plain text version or ASCII which does not have any formatting. You also need to be sure that industry specific major keywords are in the electronic resume, because it will likely be scanned by software that screens out resumes lacking certain keywords. For email, you should use the formatted resume and it must be designed to have impact and have proof that you offer value to a potential employer. You also need to include a knock-out cover letter that does more than just repeat exactly what is on the resume.

After you have completed the online application process, you always need to follow up with a phone call. Company websites usually list a phone number and sometimes they list a human resources name. If not, try the company’s social media websites like Facebook for information or Google the company’s name. Ultimately, your goal should be to reach the “hiring manager” for the department where you have applied. This may not be the same person as the human resources name on the website. If you can’t get past the “gatekeeper” who answers the phone, ask for the hiring manager’s name and email address and send an email if possible.

What do you say? Introduce yourself and state how you applied for employment and when you applied and that you are following up on your application. Ask to schedule a time when you may meet with the employer to discuss how you can add value to his or her company. Taking the initiative to follow up demonstrates your genuine interest in the employer and may give you an advantage over other applicants who do not follow up. However, do not make a pest of yourself calling several times a day every day or you may be crossing yourself off the list of applicants.

I have heard of applicants using other creative methods of getting through to the hiring authority such as showing up with or sending a box of donuts in the morning with a card, courtesy of the applicant. If you do employ a creative method, be careful about whether the manner you choose is appropriate for the industry and the company. For example, though an oversized comical card might be well received in the entertainment business, it would not be suitable for a business executive position.

Following up with employers is also very important after an interview. You should immediately snail-mail a thank you card to each interviewer with a few handwritten sentences thanking them for their time and restating how you could add value to their business. (One way of ensuring you remember all the names of the interviewers is to ask for business cards from each person at the interview.) Once again, this act shows interest and thoughtfulness, putting your name back in front of the hiring personnel one more time. It is also acceptable to follow up a week or so later with a phone call asking if a decision has been reached.

Don’t resign yourself to an online-only job search. You are more than an electronic submission, and you need to graciously let employers know it through your actions! Not only can you set yourself apart from other applicants, you can retain your power over your career future as well.