You're not alone if you feel that the biggest problem in your job search is finding the right names at the companies you want to contact. But you can usually figure out the names of companies you want to approach by deciding first if your job hunt is primarily geography-driven or industry-driven.
In a geography-driven job hunt, you could select a list of, say, 50 companies you want to contact by location from the lists that the U.S. Chambers of Commerce publish yearly of their "major area employers." There are hundreds of local Chambers of Commerce across America, and most of them will have an 800 number which you can find through 1-800-555-1212. If you and your family think Atlanta, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, and Virginia Beach might be nice places to live, for example, you could contact the Chamber of Commerce in those cities and ask how you can obtain a copy of their list of major employers. Your nearest library will have the book which lists the addresses of all chambers.
In an industry-driven job hunt, and if you are willing to relocate, you will be identifying the companies which you find most attractive in the industry in which you want to work. When you select a list of companies to contact by industry, you can find the right person to write and the address of firms by industrial category in Standard and Poor's, Moody's, and other excellent books in public libraries. Many web sites also provide contact information.
Many people feel it's a good investment to actually call the company to either find out or double-check the name of the person to whom they want to send a resume and cover letter. It's important to do as much as you feasibly can to assure that the letter gets to the right person in the company.
At the end of your research, you may find some advice about how to conduct library research and how to locate organizations to which you could send your resume.
What's the correct way to follow up on a resume you send?
There is a polite way to be aggressively interested in a company during your job hunt. It is ideal to end the cover letter accompanying your resume by saying "I hope you'll welcome my call next week when I try to arrange a brief meeting at your convenience to discuss your current and future needs and how I might serve them." Keep it low key, and just ask for a "brief meeting," not an interview. Employers want people who show a determined interest in working with them, so don't be shy about following up on the resume and cover letter you've mailed.
But a resume and cover letter by themselves can't get you the job you want. You need to "prep" yourself before the interview. Step Three in your job campaign is "Preparing for Interviews." First, let's look at interviewing from the company's point of view.
What are the biggest "turnoffs" for companies'?
One of the ways to help yourself perform well at an interview is to look at the main reasons why companies don't hire the people they interview, according to companies that do the interviewing.
Notice that "lack of appropriate background" (or lack of experience) is the last reason for not being offered the job.
The 14 Most Common Reasons Jobhunters Are Not Offered Jobs (according to the companies who do the interviewing and hiring)
- Low level of accomplishment
- Poor attitude, lack of self-confidence
- Lack of goals/objectives
- Lack of enthusiasm
- Lack of interest in the company's business
- Inability to sell or express yourself
- Unrealistic salary demands
- Poor appearance
- Lack of maturity, no leadership potential
- Lack of extracurricular activities
- Lack of preparation for the interview, no knowledge about company
- Objecting to travel
- Excessive interest in security and benefits
- Inappropriate background
