by Timothy A. Anderson –

It is strongly advisable to get in contact with a prospective employer in advance of finalizing your resume writing and cover letter. This is a KEY factor in how to make a resume that gets you the interview.

When doing so here are a few crucial resume writing tips that will bring your application above and beyond the vast majority of applicants.

* Tip #1: Find out who the manager responsible for the position will be. Be sure to speak with them directly, not just the HR Department who may be responsible for overseeing the hiring process.

* Tip #2: Before you send an resume and cover letter, send an email to the manager expressing interest in the position and asking when would be a convenient time to speak by phone about the job. Unless you have been unable to get an email response, it is always advisable to make email contact first, rather than simply making a random phone call. After all, this will will often result in a poor quality conversation if the person you need to speak to is unprepared to answer questions at that moment, or simply too busy to take the time to answer all your questions completely.

* Tip #3: If the time they propose for a telephone conversation is a few days away, be sure to send an quick email the morning of the call reminding them that you will be calling at the agreed time so they are fully prepared.

* Tip #4: During the phone call, ask detailed questions to the regarding the profile of the ideal candidate for the job, including the experience, skills, abilities, and educational requirements.

Good questions to ask include:

• Has this position been filled previously, or it it new or have the responsibilities changed?
• What are the key success criteria for excelling in this role?
• Specific questions about the points mentioned in the job description. You can always ask what is most important, in the manager’s opinion.
• Listen carefully, ask questions, and make notes during the conversation. You don’t want to forget any details. Be sure to note the wishes and concerns they regarding the position itself, and the qualifications and profile the ideal candidate for the position should have. You want to directly pinpoint and highlight these in the resume and cover letter you send to apply for the job.

Once you have sent your resume and cover letter, send a follow-up email directly to the person you spoke to thanking them for their time in answering your questions, and letting them know that you have submitted your job application.

In conclusion…

Following these simple resume writing tips for contacting an employer will allow you to gain a significant advantage over the majority of applicants. Relatively few people take the time to investigate a job in this much detail, but the extra effort will result in a significantly stronger resume writing and cover letter, if you use what you learn during this process.

Timothy Anderson is a resume writing expert who runs http://www.Powerful-Resume-Templates.com where those needing to write or improve their resume quickly and effectively can sign up for a FREE Resume Writing Boot Camp mini-course, and browse through many pages of high quality resume writing content to learn how to make a resume that works.