you've sent off your resume, now what?

You've mailed, e-mailed and faxed out A batch of resumes. And though you may be tempted to sit back and wait for the phone to ring, this is the time to begin preparing for your follow-up calls. As much as you may have hoped to avoid them, these calls (or faxes or e-mails) can make or break your job search. The extra effort will make you stand out from the crowd and could even land you an interview.

But you still have to proceed with caution. There's a fine line between exhibiting enthusiasm for a position and becoming a pest. A good record-keeping system can keep you on the right side of the line. Your system doesn't have to be fancy—anything from a computerized contact management system to a three-ring binder will do. It just needs to help you track every contact you make. Specifically, it should provide room for the following:

• Contact information for each individual to whom you send a resume. This should include the person's name, company name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Be sure to make a note of how you connected with the person: "Met at WERC conference," for example, or "Referral from John Rogers."
• A copy of (or link to) the cover letter and resume you sent to this person. If you followed our advice in last month's column ("writing a killer resume," June 2006, page 47), you will have tailored each resume you sent to a particular job opening. Be sure to retain a copy so that when you speak to the person, you'll have a record of what he or she received.
• A log of all contacts. Starting with the time you submit your resume, keep track of all contacts you make with the person or company: Each log entry should include the following information:
  • Time and date of the contact. It may not seem significant at the time, but a running record of the time and day of the week you attempt to contact the person could provide valuable clues to the best time to reach him or her. For example, if all of your Monday morning calls go directly into voicemail, it could be a signal that the person is tied up in weekly departmental meetings. Next time, try calling on a Tuesday or in the afternoon.
  • Method of contact. E-mail, fax or telephone? There's no way to know which is the best way to reach a particular person. Some people are conscientious about checking their voicemail but rarely look at their e-mail. Others are just the opposite. Alternate your methods until you find one that works.
  • Result of the contact. Keep careful notes on the outcome of each contact. For example, if you attempt to reach someone on, say, Tuesday at 10 a.m. and end up leaving a voicemail message, make a note of it. That way, if you call again and get voicemail, you'll know not to leave another message for at least five days. Similarly, if you receive an Auto Reply to your e-mail message ("I'll be out of the office until Monday, July 10"), make a note of that so you can try again a couple days after the person's return. If you actually manage to speak with the person, be sure to write down what he or she says. Call me back in 10 days means just that—not a week. You may think you'll remember, but the details will start to get hazy in a day or two. A written reminder could keep you from inadvertently crossing the fine line between enthusiastic prospect and stalker.

Editor's note: This is the third of a four-part series on job hunting. Next month: getting ready for the interview. Read part one: landing your dream job | Read part two: writing a killer resume