With everything gone “techno” these days, one of the most valuable (and overlooked) resources in standing out in your job search followup is still good card stock.
Everybody e-mails everyone nowadays. Employers are constantly inundated with online information. In the battle for the best job you don’t want to be lost in your prospective boss’s e-mail inbox.
First stop: get carded. Get yourself some basic business cards. Your name, professional e-mail account and primary contact number are really all that is needed. If you have recently graduated, put your university or college and the graduation year. Keep it simple. At the job interview, don’t forget to get their business card so that you have the correct information for followup.
Next up, your resumé. Get someone who is good with details to review this most important document before you send it off to your prospective boss. Typos will lose points in this game. Spend a few extra cents and get good-quality paper stock. Regular printer paper can look flimsy. And while it is so easy to e-mail your resumé, you may wish to take home advantage and first drop off an original copy at the office. Attach a cover sheet as well as your business card.
Deliver the goods. This “delivery” gives you a chance to see the office environment for the first time and will certainly make you feel more at ease when you go in for the interview. For the boldest approach, ask to speak with the contact you were directing the resumé to. Your reason for stopping by: “I thought this would give me an opportunity to see the office environment before I come in for my formal interview.” The truth may get you far!
Say thank you. It’s such a simple concept and yet so overlooked in the generation Y era. That is, a thank you note not sent via cyberspace. A trip to the local card store will arm you with a box of basic thank you notes. For those that prefer a more personalized approach, you can order personalized note card stock. Keep your content short and simple and easy to read. If you have lots of business cards put another one in this note.
OK. Now you can e-mail. You are always welcome to send an e-mail version to your prospective employer. Mention in the text of the e-mail that you dropped off an original resumé and are sending the e-mail version as followup. The more chances you can get an employer thinking about you the better (and look thorough by doing so).
So, get out and conquer. And don’t forget to pick up some stamps on your way.
Sarah McNeill is the chief acceleration officer at McNeill Nakamoto Recruitment Group, a 12-year-old employment company known for its exceptional staffing experiences. For more than 10 years, McNeill Nakamoto has been building a fan club by delivering consistent results –qualified talent that ‘fits’.
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