How to Dig Out of the Resume Black Hole and Get an Interview
Your ideal job is posted. You are highly qualified. You spend hours crafting the perfect resume and cover letter. You finally hit apply and— then begin waiting. For days, you check your phone and email, but there is never a request to interview. Why? Did an actual person read your application before it fell into the black hole? Here are ways to dig out of the resume black hole and get a live interview.
Get an Interview by Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Applicant Tracking Systems automatically screen resumes based on keywords, formatting, and relevance to job descriptions. They are used by hiring managers and recruiting teams to filter out unqualified candidates and streamline the hiring process.
To get your resume past the ATS and into human hands, it is important to study the job description and match your resume to the keywords the employer has deemed most important. This may seem silly, but the more exact you are, the better your chances of getting selected by the ATS. For example, if a description uses the words “project management skills,” use these exact words. Go as far as changing your resume if it says that you “managed projects” to say that you have “project management skills.” Keywords from the description can even be used more than once. “Use the most important keywords more than once if possible, but don’t go overboard,” says Alison Doyle of The Balance. “There will be no penalty for repetition and systems often tally points for each mention of a key asset, up to a realistic point.”
Besides the job description, you should also submit your resume in simple formatting because it is most ATS friendly. Graphics, tables, and complex fonts may not be readable by the applicant tracking system. Save your resume in the format described in the posting. If in doubt, save it as a .doc or .docx.
Other ways to beat the ATS include front-loading important information at the top of your resume and quantifying your achievements because ATS software looks for specific, measurable achievements. For example, say that you closed five sales totalling $100,000 instead of saying that you met sales goals. “Like facts, no one can really argue with numbers,” says Lance Robbins, director of economic and workforce development at Distribute Consulting. “They help us understand just how successful a candidate has been. Metrics are essential to telling the story of previous successes” (Harvard Business Review).
Get an Interview by Strengthening Your Brand and Network
If a hiring manager has two strong resumes and is deciding who to interview, he or she may look you up online. This could be through a web search or they could use software to assess your social media presence. Make sure you define your mission statement and cultivate your personal online narrative. Your LinkedIn profile should align to who you are in your application.
“For better or worse, in today’s world, everyone is a brand, and you need to develop yours and get comfortable marketing it,” says Harvard Business Review.
Create as strong of a network as possible and cast your net wide. Is there anyone who could be a personal job referral, even if only a third-degree contact?
Get an Interview by Writing a Personalized Cover Letter
A cover letter is a way to distinguish yourself and really connect your background to the company in a specific way. Start your letter by using the name of the person who may be hiring (if you can find that information). Include information from the company website in your cover letter. “Scan the company website, and view their mission statement,” says Kristi DePaul of Harvard Business Review. “Research the company so that you are up to date on any recent news or media mentions.” This helps you understand the organization’s values. You can then connect your own skills and background in specific ways. Be very clear in your letter that you want the position and will add value to the company.
Digging your application out of the black hole and into the hands of a human who will call you for an interview takes time. Remember that applying for a job is about quality over quantity.
Using a recruiting firm like Artemis Consultants is also a way to increase your chances of interviewing and landing that ideal role. Sign up HERE for our free job alerts. And once you secure an interview, be sure to read Artemis’s blog on how to present yourself in an interview.
-Written exclusively for Artemis Consultants by Business Content Writer Mellody Melville