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So you took my advice, cleaned up that resume, tweaked your cover letter, proofed, proofed again, and applied to dozens of agencies. Now you can sit back and wait for the calls to flood in.

What? You haven’t been getting calls from every agency in town? Then it is time for the follow up. A properly executed follow up can go a long way to getting your resume to the top of the stack or at the very least, given one more look.

The Follow Up –

• Do it. Whether it is an e-mail confirmation or a phone call, follow ups are an easy way for recruiters to identify genuinely interested candidates from those who simply send out hundreds of blind resumes.
• Do it, but do it right. Keep it simple and straightforward. This is NOT an opportunity to lunge into your portfolio of experiences or launch a firing squad of questions. Ensure the resume was received and ask when the agency anticipates selecting candidates for interviews, but keep the conversation brief and undemanding.

Know the Program –

• Identify the requirements or expertise necessary for the position. Many elite internships only hire recent graduates or seniors in their final semester. Often those parameters will expand to include junior level positions during the summer months.
• If you have any contacts at the company, talk with them first to find out more about the program. These references can go a long way in bending the rules for a highly motivated sophomore or junior.
• Along the same lines, another Brightonian recently suggested, “Networking is more important than ever before…and not just with your professors or family connections. Ask your friends and your friends’ friends for suggestions. They can often provide information that relates to your circumstances such as other interns who have worked there, how they landed the positions, and what they did once they were there.”
• For another great resource, check out online college career centers for archived internship postings. These may give you insights into the type of internship positions the agency typically hires and the expected skill level.

The Catch 22 –

• It’s all about experience. That means in today’s survival of the fittest job pool you need to start early in building a substantial resume. But didn’t I just say that most internships only hire upper level classmen? Freshman and sophomores are going to have a tough time landing internships with big name companies, but there are plenty of unpaid internships that can give younger professionals real hands-on experience.
• Non-profit and government organizations, as well as local small businesses, are great places to start. These jobs will give you the basic skills and background that are key in impressing larger agency recruiters. The more “real world” ammunition you bring to the table, the more attention your resume will garner as a senior or recent graduate.

Check back next week to get more tips on internships, interviews, and career building advice.

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