by J. Beth Trent

Created on: July 06, 2010

Starting a new career search means you’re putting yourself out there, via your resume, and without the benefit of a proper face to face introduction.  Your resume, if it’s going to do its job, must be incentive enough for an interviewer to pick up the phone in an attempt to schedule an interview.  But that’s only the beginning.  More employers are now conducting searches via various social networking sites such as Facebook in an effort to get a better idea of who the talent is behind that resume they’re looking at.  Remember, this is all happening before an invitation is ever extended.  The time to do some housekeeping on your social networking pages is before you begin the tedious process of sending resumes out.   These serve as the first impression; make it count.

Once you’ve landed the interview, it’s time to go into overdrive.  Dressing for success is a worn cliché, but it’s as true now as ever.  No matter how great that suit looks, if it’s overdue for a trip to the cleaners, leave it in your closet and opt for something that’s not stained and won’t cause the interviewer to get distracted.  Too many times, people assume no one will notice a missing button.  Those assumptions are almost always wrong.   Nail polish chipped?  You don’t need your own distractions wondering if a would-be employer notices it.  If there’s no time for a manicure, remove the chipped polish and opt for a fast drying clear coat. 

The morning of your interview, review your resume once again so that your mind has those strong points ready to go.  Try to look at it from the perspective of a new employer. What would you want to know more about on your resume?  Also, while you may have emailed the resume per the instructions in a job opening, it’s always a good idea to bring a couple of hard copies to the interview.

You can be sure every interviewer on the planet knows those who she meets on a daily basis are nervous.  No need to reiterate it.  Simply smile, thank her for her time, take a deep breath and go get that dream job. 

Once the interview is behind you, your first task should be to get a thank you card sent.  Address it to the interviewer and always handwrite it.  Thank her again for her time, that you still believe you’re the perfect and welcome the opportunity to discuss anything else on her mind. 

In a still-weak economy, every detail counts.  Make sure you pass no opportunities up in your job search.

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