Career Services Office
Cold Calling: The Numbers Game
Cold calling is the process of approaching organizations and inquiring if they are hiring for positions that interest you. This can be accomplished by sending out résumés and e-mails, telephoning, or approaching an organization in person. Since you do not know whether a job is actually available, you need to contact as many organizations as possible to uncover these hidden opportunities. Statistics tell us that, on average, job seekers receive one job offer for every six interviews. Additionally, for every 100 unsolicited contacts made, a job seeker will receive between one and four interviews. Hence, to land a job, you may need to contact a minimum of 600 organizations. Some experts even estimate that as many as 1200 contacts may be necessary.
Although cold calling is research and labor intensive, it is a viable way to conduct a job search. While statistics say that merely mailing out résumés to employers at random yield only about a 7 percent success rate, going in person to an organization and asking for an interview yields a 47 percent success rate. Following up in person or by telephone can boost your chances of success considerably. Cold calls followed by personal contact can lead to a success rate as high as 69 percent. If you put forth the time and energy, it's very possible to land a job using these methods.
Targeted Mailings
A targeted mailing is done by contacting employers directly with a résumé and a personalized letter to inquire about employment possibilities. Since you don't know if these organizations are actually hiring, you are really trying to tap into their hidden job market. In order to conduct a targeted mailing, you must first spend time identifying organizations that interest you. Information about researching organizations is available on the GCCSO Web site. The CareerSearch database is also a very powerful tool that can assist you with locating organizations. After you have determined these organizations, obtain the name and address of the manager who hires for the job or department of interest and send a personalized cover letter expressing your interest in employment. Request an appointment and indicate that you will follow up with this person by a certain date. Be reasonable about your time frame, since managers are busy and the U.S. mail can be very slow. Always follow up when you say you will.
Phone and E-mail Campaigns
Conducting a phone or e-mail campaign to inquire whether an organization is currently hiring can reduce the time you spend sending out unsolicited résumés and cover letters. Be careful, however, that the person you speak to on the phone or via e-mail really has the knowledge and authority to tell you if the company is hiring. If you are told that the organization is not hiring but you really have a strong interest in the organization, you may still wish to send a résumé or visit the organization personally. Contact as many organizations as possible to determine their vacancies, and follow up with a personalized letter and résumé if you are told that they are hiring.
Knocking on Doors
Believe it or not, it is possible to find a job by knocking on doors. Although sometimes impossible to do, it is incredibly effective to personally visit organizations where you would like to work (especially small businesses). It shows your commitment and interest to the organization, and it is a great way to uncover hidden job opportunities. Showing up in person at an organization you know to be hiring is also a good strategy. Try to talk directly to the person making hiring decisions. This is often fairly easy to arrange in smaller organizations. If you do not know who is responsible for hiring, do additional research or make a few more phone calls to determine with whom you should speak. Although it can be intimidating to walk into an organization and ask a stranger for a job, this is a technique that truly works.
Career Fairs
Career fairs are yet another way of meeting face-to-face with a potential employer. Career fairs bring employers who are currently hiring together with job seekers in one central location. Campus career fairs at the University of Illinois are generally open to all students and are an opportunity for you to speak with a wide array of employers within a short period of time. National career fairs are often run by professional organizations that act as a broker between you and the hiring company. At career fairs, you have the opportunity to give a recruiter your résumé and gather information about the company. You also have the chance to impress the recruiter in person, but usually only for one or two minutes, as you are competing against hundreds of other students to get "noticed." If you do an impressive job of selling yourself, the career fair might lead to multiple interviews. A good strategy for graduate students might be to go to a career fair and distribute their résumés, but then to follow up directly with the organizations or recruiters with a phone call or personalized cover letter and résumé. A list of upcoming career fairs is available on the Workshops Calendar.
