when should i start sending out my resume?

[JohnCU]

i graduate in may 07 and already have a job offer but i want to send out my resume so i can have a better chance at negotiating a better salary, location, etc...

 

[KLin]

May 31, 2007. Just kidding 😛. Maybe 6 months before you graduate?

 

[amdhunter]

As soon as possible. It's a tough market out there.

 

[JohnCU]

has no one else graduated from college and sent out resumes? for sure it's not just highschoolers left.

 

[Reel]

Start looking for jobs through school in the fall recruiting circuit. If you wait until spring, companies may have filled up their summer hire slots with their fall recruiting. My company had that happen last year.

Start looking for jobs not through school in 07. These guys are probably looking at a tighter timeframe and are posting a job because they have an immediate need. They might not have the understanding of your timeline that a campus recruiting company would have.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: amdhunter
As soon as possible. It's a tough market out there.

Agreed, let people know about you as soon as possible.

HOWEVER, do not shotgun your resume. Dont drop it off everywhere you can like flyers from a zepplin.
Send it to specific companies with specific job openings and send it with a cover letter.
Each cover letter should be DIFFERENT, customized to the company and the job you are looking at.

Just google for Resume Cover Letter. You can find a lot of examples and templates.
Pay attention to what you learn about each. Certain things only go on a resume, certain things only go on a cover letter. And some things dont go on either. A resume is NOT your lifes history. It is a tantelizing assortment of useful info designed to make an employer interested in you and want an interview.
The interview will get you the job, NOT the resume.

And keep a log of all the places you write to. Follow up on them a week or two later.

Final tip, 80% of all jobs go unadvertised. Most positions are filled by social networking.
Learn to network. Job fairs and similar events are great places to do that.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: amdhunter
As soon as possible. It's a tough market out there.

Agreed, let people know about you as soon as possible.

HOWEVER, do not shotgun your resume. Dont drop it off everywhere you can like flyers from a zepplin.
Send it to specific companies with specific job openings and send it with a cover letter.
Each cover letter should be DIFFERENT, customized to the company and the job you are looking at.

Just google for Resume Cover Letter. You can find a lot of examples and templates.
Pay attention to what you learn about each. Certain things only go on a resume, certain things only go on a cover letter. And some things dont go on either. A resume is NOT your lifes history. It is a tantelizing assortment of useful info designed to make an employer interested in you and want an interview.
The interview will get you the job, NOT the resume.

And keep a log of all the places you write to. Follow up on them a week or two later.

Final tip, 80% of all jobs go unadvertised. Most positions are filled by social networking.
Learn to network. Job fairs and similar events are great places to do that.

why not shotgun my resume? i want as many people to know i'm available as possible. i'm a hot deal 😉

 

[shortylickens]

Oh Dude, Dude, Dude.

I provide a wealth of good information for you and you focus on the negative.
I think maybe you need a seminar or two.

You dont shotgun because employers arent stupid. (Despite anything you've seen to the opposite.)
They can tell if you've shotgunned by the content of the cover letter (or lack of cover letter) and the content of the resume.
IT TURNS THEM OFF!
And not only wont they be calling you back, but they may put you on a negative list in case you do come back looking for work in a proper manner.

I learned all this stuff in the classes I took when I got out of the Navy.
Theres all kinds of crap going on in the hiring process and knowing how some of it works can help you find a good job.
Things like: Employers only spend about 20 seconds looking at a resume, so certain important things must be in the first third of the page, or they wont read any further and toss you in the "not likely" pile. A pile which doesnt get read unless they are truly desperate. And with a stack of resumes this is unlikely. They'll only interview the folks with easy-to-read, useful resumes. Regardless of whether they may be more or less qualified for the job. Out of all the people they actually interview they will pick the one who seems the most qualified and handles themselves well at the interview.

But interview tips is another lesson and now I have to go to work.