There are times to be lax and times to be on your game. If you’re going to groom yourself to become a stellar job candidate, then you have to get yourself together and be organized in your steps. If you have your resume saved on a friend’s computer and the beginnings of your cover letter jotted on a random post-it note, then these are signs that you need to get your organizational act together!
Presenting yourself professionally to a hiring manager means getting your entire presentation package looking nice and neat. Your application should be turned in within a timely manner, complete answers and no blank spots. Your resume, cover letter, and references dossier should be well-polished and concise. These documents should be kept together in one unit and ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Whether your organizational preference involves filing cabinets and manila folders, flash drives, Google Docs or any other flavor of choice, the important part is that your records are well kept and routinely updated. If you think you’re out of the running for the job of your choice only to get a call late one afternoon saying that you’re back in, you need to have your job search weapons ready to fire. Having all of your ducks in a row when it comes to your application package already puts you ahead of the pack.
So, where do you start in this process?
- Step 1… is a reality check, the realization of how sloppy you’ve let yourself become.
- Step 2… is to buckle down and do the work of updating your documentation and figuring out the best way to keep all of the necessary elements together in a professional fashion.
- Step 3… is to confidently wait for your next opportunity to jump on a fresh job offer.
- Step 4… is to continuously evaluate where you can make improvements and competitively put your best foot forward.
- Step 5… is to reach out for help when you recognize that need for improvement and enable Platinum Resumes to come to your aid, providing an expert touch on your resume and other forms of documentation so that you can become a top contender for the job of your dreams!