The more ways you approach your target companies and hiring managers, the faster you will get into conversation with the people who can and will hire you. Let’s say you respond to a job posting by uploading your resume; that gives you one chance of getting an interview. You can quadruple your chances of an interview if you also: 

• E-mail your resume directly to the manager by name with a personalized cover letter. This alone will double your chances of an interview. 

• Send a resume and personalized cover letter to that manager by traditional mail, and you will triple your chances of an interview. Don’t smirk at the idea of traditional mail. We all like a break from the computer screen, so delivering your sales message and resume this way can be very effective. When you do this, note in the cover letter that you sent the resume by e-mail and that this additional approach is because you are really interested in the company and “wanted to increase my chances of getting your attention.” Doing this demonstrates that you are creative and not a technological Neanderthal. 

• Make a follow-up telephone call to that manager first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, or at 5:00 P.M. (when he is most likely to be available and picking up his own phone) and you will quadruple your chances of an interview. 

Remember, a successful job search is all about getting into conversation with people in a position to hire you as often as possible. The more frequently you get into conversation with managers whose job titles signify that they have the authority to hire you, the faster you will land that new position, because you have skipped right over the hurdle of being pulled from the commercial resume database; you have sidestepped the corporate recruiter’s evaluation process, and as a result you have the attention of the actual decision-maker and the chance to have a conversation, to make a direct and personal pitch. 

Getting a resume to someone by name with a personalized pitch gives you a distinct advantage, never more important than when the economy is down or in recovery. At such times your competition is fierce and employers actually do recognize and appreciate the initiative and motivation you display by doing these things, especially picking up the phone and calling: All these approaches act as differentiating factors in your candidacy. 

The above is an excerpt from the book Knock ’em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World by Martin Yate, CPC. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright  © 2011 Martin Yate, CPC, author of Knock ’em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World

Author Bio
Martin Yate, CPC, author of Knock ’em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World, is a New York Times and international bestseller of job search and career management books. He is the author of 11 job search and career management books published throughout the English speaking world and in over 50 foreign language editions. Over thirty years in career management, including stints as an international technology headhunter, head of HR for a publicly traded company and Director of Training and Development for an international employment services organization.Within the profession he has a global reputation as the thought leader on job search and career management issues. He has lectured on four continents and has maintained a coaching practice since 1991.

The current recession is the 5th he has helped people navigate over the last 30 years.

For more information please visit http://www.knockemdead.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter