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Customizing is Key When it Comes to an Effective Job Search

October 30, 2009 October 30, 2009 We all get inundated with hundreds of emails, tweets, and, well, interruptions during the day – things that are demanding our attention. Think of what a Human Resources Professional/Recruiter’s or Hiring Manager’s day is like in terms of incoming emails! Why not make their lives a little easier - and your job search more effective - by *customizing* what you send them. It’s a simple thing, takes seconds really, and yet so many people don’t do it. I receive many resumes for review from my students and alumni each day – can you guess how many attachments are titled “Resume”? Yes, 95% of them. And the remaining 5% may be something unrelated to the word resume, their name, their specialty, or date (and hint:  all of those things should be in there). Then there’s that 1% in that group who actually use a clear naming convention, such as “Maureen Lawson Recruiter Resume_10_31_09.” Cover letters should follow suit, and same goes for Print Portfolio attachments in PDF form. This simple naming convention makes not only the receiver’s (and your own) life easier when searching for and saving your information for future use, but it’s also a courteous sign that sends the message “I care about saving your time (and I’m efficient, organized, and clear).” In a similar vein, it’s important to have a customized *signature* at the bottom of your emails (see example below). Once again, you will make that person’s life so much easier if you include your professional contact information (name, title, phone number, website) right there. Trust me on that – I can’t tell you how many emails I receive that say, “hey, check out my new Website” with no mention of the Website address in the email, and I have to peruse through old emails, search through old resumes, Google it, or email the person back to request the address. Another example of customization that relays the thoughtful message of “I’m a professional who cares about quality” is when requesting to connect with someone on LinkedIn, you type over that “canned” message of “I'd like to add you to my professional network” with something personalized, with relevance and enthusiasm. You could say, “I really enjoyed hearing you speak at that seminar last night – the subjects you touched upon really hit home” or “It seems like we had so many common interests at the meeting last night, so I thought it would make sense for us to connect.” We’re a creative school, after all, so let’s get *creative* and have an *impact* with our statements, emails and submissions. The message here is, please make it easy on yourself and your audience through customization – it’s *most* effective! Example: Sincerely, Maureen Lawson Co-Director, Career Services Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University 800-808-2342 x3024 mlawson@cdiabu.com www.cdiabu.com