What to Do When Nothing Happens

By Kevin Donlin, CollegeRecruiter.com

What do you do when you've created and sent out the "perfect" resume ... and nothing happens? No calls for an interview. No form letters in the mail. No feedback of any kind.

If nothing is happening in your job search, remember the three "Re-s" and do the following:

	re-post your resume online;
	re-examine and revise your resume;
	redouble your overall efforts.

Let's take a look at each of these in detail.

1) Re-post your resume online.

If you've posted your resume to such sites as CollegeRecruiter.com, Monster.com or HotJobs.com, you may notice a drop in the number of employers contacting you after two or three weeks.

For best results on Web sites like these, re-post your resume every 30 days. Why? When your resume is "freshly posted," you appear as a candidate who's actively pursuing a new job, which makes you more attractive to employers.

2) Re-examine and revise your resume.

If employers aren't beating a path to your door, re-examine your resume with a critical eye. Ask yourself these questions:

	"Does my resume focus on a specific job or career path?" (You can't hit a target you don't aim at. Revise or remove anything that doesn't prove you're the best choice for the exact job you want.)
	"Does my resume contain errors in grammar, spelling, etc.?" (When in doubt, show your resume to at least two friends for proofreading.)
	"Is my resume concise and to-the-point?" (You won't bore anyone into hiring you. Limit yourself to two pages of tightly focused text.)

When you re-examine your resume and revise accordingly, you can remove limitations that may have kept the phone from ringing.

3) Redouble your efforts.

Try to talk to at least three people every day about your job search, and ask them to pass your name along to anyone who might be able to help. This is incredibly powerful.

Here's why. Let's assume every person on earth knows at least 100 people (this is a conservative guess). By talking to 90 people this month, you'll expand your network of contacts to 9,000 pairs of eyes and ears ... or more. If that doesn't shorten your job search, nothing will!

Finally, remember that anything worth having is worth working for. If you keep the three "Re-s" in mind, you can make a fresh start today and jumpstart your job search.

Best of luck to you!

-- Kevin Donlin is the author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, please visit CollegeRecruiter.com