It's Not What You Know
Responsible for blabbity-blah. Led a team to great success doing wiggity-wack. Graduated magna cum laude from Big University.
Zzzzz....Oh. Sorry. I nodded off there for a sec.
It's great that your resume highlights your way-above-average copying skills, but let's face it—on paper, you're just like everybody else. That's not a dig at you, it's just the way it is. The market is flooded with smart, talented and qualified people looking for jobs and you won't get ahead without a personal touch.
It’s all about connections. You stand to benefit from every relationship you have, even the ones you don’t know about.
E-mail everyone you know your experience and ideal position. When you're out and about and someone asks what you want to do, tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There's always someone out there who knows someone who can get you an interview or a phone call.
In addition, it's always good to keep the communication flowing between yourself and former colleagues, grad school compatriots and old friends. Having wide circles doesn't just help your job prospects, it helps make you a more well-rounded individual. Make a list of five people you'd like to reconnect with and do it today. You may just end up with more than a new gig.
This is so true, and it is especially true when you stick with one field long enough. I recently called a comapny to let them know my experience and ask if they needed anyone with my skills. As amatter of fact they were looking for someone. When they mentioned the name of whom I would need to speak to, I got really excited because I went to college with someone who had that same last name. 'Turned out to be the brother of one of my colleagues. Talk about a personal reference! I feel like the luckiest person on earth to have made contacts like this.