Are Your Resumes Headed Straight To The Trash?

I often talk with people who just aren’t getting
the response they’d like to all their job
submissions. And that can be really frustrating,
especially when you’ve spent a lot of time and
effort searching and applying for jobs. What
gives?

The Black Hole For Resumes

If you’ve been sending out resumes with very
little response, you may wonder what’s up. It’s
not as though your resumes have gone off to
join all the socks you’ve lost in the dryer.. is it?

Well, the truth is, unless you’re strategically
applying for positions, you might as well toss
your resume in the trash yourself and save
yourself some time. So how do you get
strategic?

The Far Too Common Job Search Mistake

Job hunting can be a very difficult thing. It’s
stressful, time consuming, and.. often very
scary. And, if you’re unemployed or unhappy
at your job, you’re probably doing all that
hard work with lower than usual self esteem.

One way to deal with that is to adopt this as
your primary job search method: search online
for open positions, submit your resume, and
wait for a response.

You can spend a lot of time doing this, which
means it FEELS productive. I know because
I’ve been there. I can also tell you that it may
be a total waste of time. So how can you tell?

When It Makes Sense To Submit a ‘Blind’ Resume

If you’re going to submit a resume “blind”, that
is, without having spoken with someone at the
company and without a personal recommendation
from a one of your contacts, then you want it to fit
at least two of the following three criteria:

1. The position you’re applying for is in demand.

2. You have worked at a similar position in the past
(you’re not making a big career transition).

3. You have a good, solid, well written resume and
cover letter.

That’s it! If you ensure that two of those
conditions apply to your situation, then by all
means submit your resume. And if not, and
you still want the job, don’t worry. There are
different strategies that deliver even better
results.