Importance. You MUST be proactive if you plan to be successful in your job search.
Employers -- in any kind of labor market -- are not going to be banging down your door
looking for you. You need to follow-up all your contact with employers -- either by phone or
by mail, depending on the circumstances. Read: The
Art of the Follow-Up After Job Interviews.
Thank you letters. Remember all those times as a kid when your parents made you
write thank you notes to distant friends and relatives who sent you presents on special
occasions? Well, guess what? That lesson in manners will pay off for you because you would
be surprised at how few job-seekers send thank you letters to potential employers.
Remember, your goal is differentiating yourself from the other job-seekers and this small
gesture can really pay off for you. Read more about thank you letters in
FAQs About Thank You Letters.
Follow-up phone calls. Not everybody is at ease making phone calls, but you NEED
to do so if you really want the job. If you say you are going to contact an employer --
and in your job search letters you should do so -- then you must follow-up and actually make the phone call!
