Last Job Search Guide - Page 285 of 356

Depending on your conversation/judgment of the individual, you may want to wait two weeks and follow-up only twice a month.

3. The small things make a difference ! Send handwritten thank you letters after each meeting or phone call saying, “thanks for the time and I look forward to our next meeting.” Also, cut out articles from newspapers or magazines about them or their companies and send to them with a note that you were thinking of them and hope everything is going well…use that as an opportunity to ask for another meeting!

4. Never be embarrassed to ask for help ! This can be in the form of asking for them to:

a. Review your resume (which by the way is something I would recommend you do…it will get them to “buy-in” to you and your efforts and increase the probability of getting their help.)

b. Send an email or make a phone call to that one great contact that just never seems to return your call/reply to email. You'll be amazed at their willingness to help as well as the results you get.

c. Give you ideas about how to build your network. You will find that 99 percent of successful business people are members or officers in one ore more professional organizations, clubs, societies, etc. Ask them what they think would be a good fit for you given your unique background and experience level. From my own experience I can say that Chambers of Commerce, Networking Clubs (which are everywhere and most are listed in the “Business Press” or comparable publication for every geographic region), and volunteer organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Race for the Cure, United Way , etc. It is never too early to get involved in these organizations. They provide you with a sense of community and also enable you to build an amazing network, both professional and personal!

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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