Some thoughts for those looking for jobs

Michael Gartenberg | January 27, 2005, 03:39 PM

I'm wrapping up a job search for a position here and thought I'd toss out a few comments for those seeking employment. It's hard to get noticed when you're one candidate amongst many, but there are ways to stand out in each of the four parts, getting your resume seen, the phone interview, the face to face and the follow up. M

First thing, most importantly, is get in the door from the inside if possible. I got in the door at Jupiter because Ken Allard knew me from our days at Gartner and we had a mutual friend who hooked us up. Likewise, when I was hired at Gartner, it was because a guy named Dave Rothschild (who they initially wanted) at Apple gave them my name (Dave instead of becoming an analyst went to a little startup called Netscape, but that's another story). Any resume that is received from a known source is always better than one that comes in cold unless you've got a real strong industry reputation.

1. Focus on the basics. That means polishing your resume and cover letter. There's a lot of debate about resume length. Conventional wisdom says keep it to a page. That was fine in the era of my Dad who had two jobs in his lifetime or if you're Steve Jobs. Otherwise, use the length you need to tell someone what you've done but no more than that. Also, check your spelling carefully and don't rely on the spell check to fix things. You really only get one chance to make that first impression. Make sure you're not just taking a shotgun approach. You'd be surprised at how many cover letters I got from folks that were very excited about working for Gartner Group or JuniperResearch.

2. OK, you've been weeded out and someone calls you for a phone interview. If you're not around, get back to them right away. Leave times when you can be reached and make sure you're around for the return call. It also helps if you spend some time learning about what the company your seeking employment from does. You'd be surprised at how many folks never get passed the "What do you know about JupiterResearch?" question.

3. If you've made it past the phone interview and you're invited in, BE ON TIME. Nothing makes a worse impression, especially when you're doing multiple interviews that have been scheduled back to back. As Shakespeare said, "better three hours too soon than a moment too late". Get their EARLY.

4. Remember what Mom told you about saying thanks... Send a Thank You note (email is OK for this I think) to everyone you met that day. Express your continued interest in the position (assuming you are still interested). Feel free to follow up with your contact after a reasonable period of time. There's a lot of reasons why someone hasn't gotten back to you. Avoid crossing the line into stalking territory though.