How to Follow up When the Company Doesn’t Make it Easy

Nicole wrote WorkSource to complain about how hard it is to follow up:

“Some companies make it impossible for you to do a follow up call after you submit your resume. Either they keep their company name private, they won’t take your call unless they have already called you. Is there any way to avoid this – it’s so frustrating!”

Pay Attention to Details

Most jobseekers know that an error on your resume will prevent you from becoming a serious candidate for a job. It’s pretty easy to make sure your resume is immaculate; it’s only one document. But for every resume you send out, you probably send dozens of email and other electronic correspondence.

Telling a Difficult Story

Many jobseekers have a back story that makes it challenging to compete for jobs. If you’re one of them, having been fired from a former job, having personal or financial problems, or having a criminal background, the idea of handling the story in an interview is probably keeping you up at night.

Being Discovered Part Two

Today we cover how to make sure your resume and your skills are in place for being “discovered” by recruiters. A Chicago Tribune business article recently offered creative ways to get in front of managers who might be hiring. One of them is my personal favorite, which is to position yourself as an expert.

Your Job Search “Campaign” Part Two

It’s election time here in Jacksonville; our local mayoral and city council races are in full swing. It strikes me that your job search is a little like a race. Maybe there’s something you can learn from a well-run campaign.

First, a well-run campaign seeks out the best advice it can get. Candidates get help with organizing, messaging, and reaching out to voters and donors. The best candidates also talk to experts on issues and get candid feedback on their appearance and speaking skills.

Connecting with People

Being tuned in to other people’s emotions – and taking steps to make them feel better about themselves – will help you become more likeable. Lowndes says that people will associate you – and the memory of you – with the emotion they experienced when they met you. If you make someone uncomfortable, she’ll avoid you. Make him feel warm and appreciated, and he’ll get a warm feeling whenever he thinks about you.

How to Instantly Connect with Anyone

Leil Lowndes is a management consultant and speaker and author of How to Instantly Connect with Anyone: 96 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships. Her book helps you understand the basics of making other people feel comfortable and, well, good around you. Her theory is that if you make someone feel good about themselves, they will get a warm, Pavlovian feeling every time they see you. Conversely, if you make people uncomfortable, that sense of unease follows whenever they see you.