Follow up call??

[Priyanka Chopda]

Hi,
I have been submitting my resume to all kind of IT positions without any luck so far. I'm MS in CS. No experience so far. I came across some post which says follow up call might help. My question is what should be main points to say in follow up call? will it be annoying to the recruiter? and how long should I carry out my conversation? I know basically one should show their interest in the job but sending resume itself indicates one's interest..Isn't it??
Please post me your thoughts.
Many Thanks
-PC

[Michael Ernest]

Always send a brief note thanking your interviewer for the chance to discuss an opportunity. In my opinion a written note is better than email.
A hand-written note demonstrates a sense of purpose and an understanding of the process of finding a position in a way that phone calls do not. If nothing else, a written note that is promptly delivered shows you have thought through the entire process of interviewing, from open to close, and you'll get people's attention and respect for your courtesy and forethought.
People remember it. It's worth the time taken to do it well.

[Priyanka Chopda]

Thank you Michael Ernest for suggestion. But I'm not even getting interview calls . And my question was after submitting resume and before they decide whom to call for interview for specific position should I give them follow up call? If yes, what should be my main points?
Thanks
-PC

[Michael Ernest]

My apologies: I didn't read very carefully the first time around.
As silly as it might sound, I got my first break in this business by a) being nominally qualified and b) submitting my resume on a heavier stock of colored paper. I also mailed it flat so it wouldn't have any crease lines.
When you're dumping in your resume with possibly dozens or hundreds of others, anything you can do to stand out is important. I wouldn't do it for a position for which relatively few people would be considered, but for a cattle call, hey, anything that gets someone to read your resume or pull it from a large stack counts.

[Al Newman]

Originally posted by Michael Ernest:
My apologies: I didn't read very carefully the first time around.
As silly as it might sound, I got my first break in this business by a) being nominally qualified and b) submitting my resume on a heavier stock of colored paper. I also mailed it flat so it wouldn't have any crease lines.
When you're dumping in your resume with possibly dozens or hundreds of others, anything you can do to stand out is important. I wouldn't do it for a position for which relatively few people would be considered, but for a cattle call, hey, anything that gets someone to read your resume or pull it from a large stack counts.

I did something similar. I used a cream-color heavy paper and actually mailed the resume in it's own clear plastic folder (about $0.12 apiece as I recall). I think it worked because I started getting a better response rate from resume submissions.
When you're poor resume is in a pile of 300 you have to do something to give it a chance....

[Priyanka Chopda]

Thanks,
I will give it a shot. I agree that I should do something different to make my resume noticeable.
Thanks again
-PC

[Sam Tilley]

Hi guys,
I agree with your ideas to make a CV stand out in the pile but over here (UK) at least most people want your CV emailed to them in Word format and very few seem to want it posted to them (or provide an address for it to be sent to). Many agencies actually even retype the CV up to send out so they are all on their headed paper.
In these situations are there any other tips that you could use?
Thanks

[james airey]

If I was getting no responses from job applications, I would not wonder what was wrong with the delivery method of my resume, but would think about
"why am I not attractive to these employers?".
Are you asking for too high a salary?
Are you over/under qualified?
Do you think you can do the job?
You say that you have no experience. Do the jobs you are applying for require experience? I went through a very humiliating interview shortly after leaving university for a job I was not even nearly qualified for.
The purpose of an interview is to match the candidate to the job.
You have good academic qualifications. Why not apply as a graduate trainee?

[Michael Ernest]

Originally posted by Sam Tilley:
Hi guys,
I agree with your ideas to make a CV stand out in the pile but over here (UK) at least most people want your CV emailed to them in Word format and very few seem to want it posted to them (or provide an address for it to be sent to). Many agencies actually even retype the CV up to send out so they are all on their headed paper.
In these situations are there any other tips that you could use?

Most companies that insist on a soft copy won't actually "read" your resume. They will scan it for keywords, e.g., "Java," "EJB," "total pushover in salary negotiation," etc. The trick to such resumes is to jam in the keywords. You'll get a call if you're a match to their search criteria (which typically they give you in the advert you've read).
Personally, I've never bothered to submit a resume this way. Ever. If I can'y make human contact with a company then it's too faceless and mindless for me to consider. I deal with people, not their software. Your mileage may vary.
With agencies you're in a situation: how to best present yourself to an agent who is going to present you to someone else. I have a job much like this, and there's only two things that work: persistence and timing. The more your agent thinks about you, the more likely they'll find you employment. If you sit back and wait for things to happen, you're counting on luck and circumstance alone. An agent usually isn't all that motivated to go comb the fields for you. They're hoping mostly that opportunities will come to them and they'll then promote the most likely candidates, and their sense of "most likley" is often "most memorable." Most memorable is quite often most recently seen. You get the idea.

[Alfred Neese]

Originally posted by Sam Tilley:
Hi guys,
I agree with your ideas to make a CV stand out in the pile but over here (UK) at least most people want your CV emailed to them in Word format and very few seem to want it posted to them (or provide an address for it to be sent to). Many agencies actually even retype the CV up to send out so they are all on their headed paper.
In these situations are there any other tips that you could use?
Thanks

Two things. Write a good cover letter making an argument directly connecting your quals with the stated needs. This is rarely read but when they bother it can give you a major advantage.
The second thing is to follow up with a phone call. Always. I call at least 5 times before giving up on personal contact.