To read the first of this six part series, go to Part I.

Follow-up

Many of the major job boards will keep track in your account of the jobs to which you've applied and many also email a copy of the jobs to you. Use those records to follow-up with each and every employer to which you've applied. Give them four or five business days to review your resume and then email or call using any contact information included in the job posting ad. If there is no such information in the ad, and there often isn't, then go to the employer's web site and use the Contact Us or other such page to contact the Human Resources office. All you want to know at this stage is if they received your resume and when they'll likely review it. Be polite but firm in getting that information. Any good employer should be able and willing to communicate that to you. If they tell you five business days, call or email them back on the sixth business day to ask for an update and the timing of the next step. If they tell you that they'll be setting up interviews in 10 business days then call or email them back on the eleventh day. Keep repeating the process until you've been excluded from consideration or, hopefully, hired.