Applying For a Job? Try To Get In Within 24 Hours
MomstoWork’s career coach Aunt Jobby got this question:
Dear Aunt Jobby
How quickly should I apply for jobs? It often takes me a week or so to redraft my resume, cover letter and get the supporting documents together. Is that too slow? Gimme a break, I am a working mom with too many kids …
Sleepless (and overworked) mom in Seattle,
Mary
Dear Sleepless Mom in Seattle, Stop your whining. You probably have plenty of spare time. Not! We jest. To find out what Human Resource and recruiters expect, we asked Melanie Chin, a recruiting director with Trilogy Technical Services who said:
Applying for a job is like speed skating in the Olympics: time is of the essence. The faster you are, the more likely you will beat out your competition.
Aunt Jobby suggests: “More haste less speed: Don’t apply so quickly that you crash and burn by missing big mistakes … “
The job market is saturated with hundreds – maybe even thousands! – of job applicants with backgrounds similar to yours, and they may be applying for the same jobs you are.
To get yourself to the top, not only will you need a great resume but you will need to get it to the employer quickly.
What specifically does this mean? As soon as you see a job posted or discuss a position with an employer, HR Manager or Recruiter, make sure to apply no later than 24 hours after seeing or discussing the opportunity.
This does not mean that you should not apply for a job if you noticed that it has been posted for some time. You should definitely apply for any and all positions for which you qualify, regardless of when the positions came out. However, please keep in mind that the more quickly you can apply for a job after it has been posted, the better your chances of being selected for an interview.
Info: Melanie Chin is a Recruiting Director with Trilogy Technical Services in Rockville, MD. She has 10 years of recruiting experience and has extensive experience working with candidates on job hunting, resume writing and interviewing tips.
Got a question about applying for a job? Ask MomstoWork by emailing Julie Power at julie@momstowork.com or post a comment below. We’ll try to get you an answer. And don’t forget to read our posts about returning to work.
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons license. Photo by JohntheScone
- More haste less speed when applying for jobs
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Filed Under: Featured • Job Opportunities • Managing Your Career • Moms Returning to Work • Working Moms Resources
About the Author: Julie Power is a writer and editor with experience in both the United States and Australia. After living in the United States for 16 years, she recently returned to live in Sydney with her husband and twin boys (9 years old).
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Definitely get your resume in quickly. Do you want to be at the top or bottom of the pile? It shows your timeliness and also that you are a serious job seeker.
Dear Ms. Julie,
I am a mom of three girls ages 8,5 and 3. I resigned from my job in a cruise liner when I got married in 2001. My husband and I owns a small walk-in grocery store which we put up in 2001 after we got married. We both took turns in being the cashier but we hired somebody last year to fill up the position. We both planned to work abroad in 2008 but it never happened. I kept thinking of how the kids will do if I will be away so I disregarded the option of going abroad.
Just recently, a friend who teaches in college told me to consider to try teaching in college and take a masteral course which is of course a requirement. I know I can do it but I don’t know where to start. I don’t have a household help but my mother could look after my kids if i pursue with my plans. Should I take a masteral course first before teaching or should I do both at the same time? I still have hesitations about this. Please enlighten me.
Hope that you will reply ASAP. Many thanks!
.-= Flordeliza Apolinario´s last blog ..Young women now earning more than men =-.
Thanks for reading the blog. You have a tough choice ahead of you, and nobody can make your decision except you and your family. But I did read some good advice today at The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
She writes: “When I’m reluctant to take a risk or face something uncomfortable, I ask myself these five questions which, in melodramatic form, I call the “Five Fateful Questions.” They help me think clearly about a situation.”
Rubin’s questions are:
“What am I waiting for?
What would I do if I weren’t scared?
What steps would make things easier?
What would I do if I had all the time and money in the world?
What is the worst, and the best, that could happen?”
I don’t know about you, but Rubin’s questions challenged me.
In your case, if you can iron out the practicalities, and arrange for your mom to help out, you could be a great role model to your daughters, showing them that you are willing to take on new things and rise to new challenges.
Whether you can teach and do a Master’s Degree at the same time is another thing! I know some teachers who are doing this, but not many with three children. That would be a big workload.
You will be busy!
Good luck with your decision, whatever you decide, and your career,
All the best, from the MomstoWork team