Getting Together Your Action Plan

Now you have a better understanding of the type of work you may want to look for, and you're making use of the most powerful job-hunting resource available today: the internet. What else can you do to increase your chances for landing the right job? Posting a resume and responding to on-line ads are great places to start, but the most effective job-search does not stop there. While you're waiting to hear from prospective employers, you can significantly increase your odds of getting the job you want - sooner, rather than later.

Preparation is the key

Let's look at the selection process. It is not unusual for one job listing to receive more than one hundred responses, which usually come in the form of a resume. Unless the employer is very small, your resume may not even be reviewed by the hiring manager. At this early stage, someone in the human resources department is likely to narrow down the incoming candidate field by weeding out resumes that don't meet certain requirements.

Therefore, while a resume is almost never the ultimate basis for a hiring decision, its importance as a tool for advancing you in the selection process is significant. Don't make the mistake of relying on a good resume and cover letter to get you any further than the initial step of the screening process, however. A resume is only a one-way dialogue, so it does not provide a prospective employer with the opportunity to evaluate you as a living, breathing person. Just as important, it does not allow you evaluate the employer.

The selection process is a two-way street

For the same reasons that an employer needs to find the best candidate for an open job, you need to look carefully at an employer's work environment, as well as at other job-related factors you value. These may include salary, benefits, available training, and advancement opportunities. Both you and the employer should be interested in determining whether or not the job is right for you. Since this requires that you visit the workplace and speak with the hiring manager, the focal point of your job-hunting efforts should be the interview.