Mindy Thomas

Why Am I Not Getting a Job?

In Martin Yates’ book entitled, Secrets and Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World, he talks about not only having a killer resume . . . but also about how to quadruple your chances of landing more interviews. It’s about face time with your potential employer that enables you to land. Here’s a reminder about some of the success strategies regarding working your job search that you might want to employ.

• Email your resume directly to the manager in the department you would be potentially working in. Make sure you write a cover letter and make sure it’s a compelling cover letter. Chances are if you send the resume with a subject line “Outstanding Candidate for X position”, he or she will not be able to resist opening up that email. Make sure you attach the resume first, then the cover letter. Also, put the contents of the cover letter inside the email.

• Do what we did in the old days. Boomers out there will remember that we used to send our resumes and cover letters through the traditional mail. We even used to buy beautiful, top-shelf Crane’s stationary to boot. Who is doing this now? No one is. So, why not show you took the time to put this sleek package together for your new boss? You have absolutely nothing to lose.

• Make a follow-up phone call after you mail this neat package to your potential boss. Count the number of days it takes for the package to show up, then call that manager first thing in the morning, at lunchtime or after 5 PM. Chances are that he or she will pick up their phone at that time.

Here’s the bottom line. The faster you connect with the “buying” committee, the faster you will be able to nail down an interview. According to Yates, competition is fierce as you know, so trying all of these approaches is the best way to increase your chances of landing a job.