Due to the incredible amount of project manager jobs being advertised out there, a trend amongst job seekers to simply mass distribute their CV and hope for the best. This could be called the shotgun approach.
However I believe that this approach might not be the best way to land a job.
What tends to happen is you end up applying for anything and everything even remotely related project management. You end up losing track of what you sent where.
A New Approach
What you need is a more targeted approach. Here is a technique that you can try for a job you really find interesting. Most jobs have a contact number on the ad that you used to find the job in the first place. Once you have prepared your prefect project manager resume there is a trick you can use to really separate yourself from the pack.
Use a technology that that's been around for 100 years - the telephone. It's amazing how powerful the phone is, yet so underutilized the phone has become.
How to use the Telephone!
Of course you "know" how to use the phone, but are you using it properly?
Once you have submitted your CV call the contact in the ad with a follow up message. Say something like this: "Good afternoon my name is Justin and I just wanted to check to see if you successfully received my CV for the job xyz and I'd ask a some further questions about the role".
The Power Of The Phone
Making this call does a few powerful things.
Power 1- Your call actually forces the recruiter or hiring agent to check and look for your resume. Talk about getting to the top of the pile fast!
Power 2- Your call demonstrates how keen you are for the job. The very fact you've followed up tells the recruiter that your interested not just taking the shotgun approach.
Power 3 - Your call puts you square in the mind of the recruiter. They are going to check your resume, they are going to review what you have to offer and they are going to pursue you further.
Who would have thought a 100 year old technology could do all that!
You'll be amazed at how a simple follow up, using the old school phone, can do amazing things for your project manager job hunting.
