There's a lot been written about how to prepare an employment market resume and how to conduct an interview. However, before you even get to the resume . . . and before you prepare for your first interview . . . there are some basic rules that can be overlooked to your peril.



1. Make sure your voicemail greeting sounds professional. It's a major turnoff to employers trying to reach you to encounter some sophomoric announcement that you think is cute.

2. Likewise, don't use an email address that you think is so clever. It's probably not the first impression you want to leave with an employer trying to reach you. For the purposes of your job hunting, set up something simple like your first and last names.

3. On the subject of emails, make sure you carefully proofread. No shortcuts or symbols you might use with close friends. Instead use the same rules of punctuation and grammar you'd use if you were writing a letter.

4. Make sure your cell phone is turned off before you go into an interview. Nothing interrupts the flow of a good interview than your cute ringtone!

5. Dress conservatively. Match your dress to the expectations of the organization you're talking to. In any case, no jeans, t-shirts, low necklines or sandals--even if you're talking to some hip dot.com company.

6. Be sure to send a carefully crafted thank you letter. In it you should summarize the particular strengths and capabilities you can bring to the table.

Look, heading into the employment market when you're new to it is never easy. And there are many other important rules to master. For example, in today's sophisticated employment market you need a plan of action. If you think opportunities will drop into your lap just because you've prepared a killer resume . . . well, guess again!

In short, you need an alternative job search system that can have you talking to your next boss in a matter of days instead of waiting around for weeks and even months hoping the phone will ring. In the meantime these basic rules can help you launch your job campaign correctly.