I received a random phone call from a recent college graduate the other day inquiring whether my company was hiring.

Although I don’t have any job openings, I tried to be helpful:

• Suggesting she look at the local IABC, PRSA, and AMA chapters–and gave her the URLs.
• Suggesting she consider attending some of their lower-cost events (i.e., those more likely to be affordable to an out-of-work newbie).
• Pointing her to Job of the Week.
• Recommending that, as she finds people to talk to, she ask them for an informational interview as a way to get in the door (rather than asking for a job–which tends to elicit a yes/no response).

I even gave her my e-mail address (no, she didn’t have it–which suggested she hadn’t looked at my Web site before calling), and told her I’d be happy to look at her resume.

She sent her resume a little while later–but my address wasn’t on it (assume it was blind copied), the note was addressed to someone else, and it was a generic letter. No mention that she’d talked to me. And, of course, no thank you.

You can guess what happened next.

Make sure you’re making the most of your opportunities. Don’t be random.

Photo by Nicolas Nova (Flickr).

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Original article: Don’t Be Random

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