Today's Job Search Requires A Proactive Approach
By Vicki Slingluff-Andrews | 05/24/2006 - 1:00 AM EST
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In the not too distant past, eager job hunters typed their resumes and cover letters, sent them off to prospective employers either by fax or snail mail, and then waited for the phone to ring. Most of the time, the applicants heard nothing until they received a rejection letter.
Things have changed. Whether you're looking for your first job or a change of careers, finding employment is hard work.
The methods and practices of applying for a job are not what they used to be and both returning and new entrants into the job market often find themselves at a loss of how best to proceed.
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In today's job market, online submission is one of the most common methods of applying for a job. The process may seem easier, but more is involved than ever before.
Cover letters and/or networking letters are now a necessity and must be as well written as your resume. In fact, since the cover letter is the first thing hiring executives see and will determine if anyone even looks at your resume, it is the most important document in your job search.
Follow-up calls, which were occasionally expected, are now a mandate as employers are pushing a lot of the application tasks onto the job hunter. Instead of waiting for a call, you have to make phones ring in the HR offices of prospective employers. Essentially you have to become proactive and keep the lines of communication open.
For first-time IT job candidates, it's important to realize upfront that your diploma doesn't come with instructions for finding work and is not an automatic ticket to a job.
You may be a math or electronic genius, but how do you display this to hiring personnel? Graduating with honors doesn't get you any closer to a corporate office. You still have homework to do, learning how to write a resume and discovering the tricks of career initiation.
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