Forum - Ask the Hiring Manager

QUESTION:

Dear Brian,

OK, I have found the perfect job for me with American Airlines posted on their web site. I have faxed and mailed my resume to them on numerous occasions in the past month but no luck. I have been job searching for several months, and I even backed out of one job due to a difference in salary with another company.  Anyway, I'm trying to make that vital personal contact with the corporate office in Dallas. All I can find are phone #'s for DFW Airport and not their main office. I was given two phone #'s to try to call, but all I get is a constant busy signal. I am tempted to drive 14 hours down there next week and not leave until they offer me something. Any tips on how to get their attention, and show I am the man for that particular job?

From: William L. Waller, Recent Graduate, Middle Tennessee State University


ANSWER FROM BRIAN KRUEGER:

Hi William -

Your problem is a classic--getting through to the decision maker. As you have seen, just mailing and faxing your resume will likely get you no further than being buried in someone's in-basket. At best, you may get a quick scan before being filed in the circular file. That's just the reality.

What you need is a combination of good research skills along with persistent telephone skills to get through to the person that can actually make a potential positive decision for you. Regarding the research, you may want to head to the library at MTSU to look up American Airlines in some of the corporate research guides. Hint: one of the reasons you may not have been able to find info yet is that the corporation name is AMR Corporation. My somewhat dated Hoover's lists their vitals as: AMR Corporation
4333 Amon Carter Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76155
(817) 963-1234

That's a start for you. But it's only a general number In getting through to the decision maker, I'll need to refer you to my book, which contains 7 different ways to get past the screen and then a multitude of scripts for presenting yourself to the hiring manager. You basically need to master two steps right now: getting through to the hiring manager and effectively presenting yourself to the hiring manager. At that point, your enthusiasm for the company and the position should give you an edge, but please remember to study the interviewing basics.

Also, you may want to consider using my "Ground Zero Resume Technique" for customizing directly to AMR and the "I Love Only You Technique" for targeting their company specifically.

I wish you well in your targeted search. The above phone number is only the general phone number for AMR. You may need to make several calls before you get through to the right department, then several more before you get through to the decision maker. But don't give up. Live your dream now before it escapes unannounced.

Do you have a question that you would like to have answered here in this forum? Send your question direct to Brian Krueger.

All job search information at this forum is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter, the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission of the author.