Looking for a job is usually quite an exhausting process. You spend hours searching for the right offers, send applications, then do it all over again – oftentimes, for months on end. Then, after a while, most candidates are so spent that they don’t care about landing a dream job anymore. They are willing to settle for anything with a decent salary.
If you’ve ever been in such a situation you know that feeling. At a certain moment, you start to think that there must be something wrong with you – because why else would every recruiter ignore you?
Good news: there’s probably nothing wrong at all with you personally. Bad news: companies don’t jump at the opportunity to hire you because the job market is oversaturated, especially in the big cities. If your career field happens to be among the most popular ones, it makes the competition even more fierce.
“But I do need a job!”, – you might think desperately. Well, hang on. There are several ways to make hiring managers finally notice you. Not all of them are suitable for every industry, but most will do just fine everywhere. Read on to find them out!
1. Craft an Outstanding CV/Resume
Having an impressive CV or resume is crucial for the success of your job search process. So, spare no time to learn the ins and outs of resume writing. Don’t think there’s not much to learn – in fact, there’s quite a lot.
Even with all the information at hand, it usually takes applicants anywhere from several days to several weeks to write a CV, experts say. If you don’t have that much time, professional writers at https://skillhub.com/resume-examples/bookkeeper-resume-sample can do it much faster for you. Ordering a resume/CV only takes minutes, and then you’ll be able to concentrate on other important tasks.
Obviously, the worst thing you can do is to neglect this crucial document. Remember: even if you land an interview through networking, you’ll eventually need a resume/CV anyway.
2. Throw in Some Keywords
You must have already heard of ATS (Applicant Tracking System). In case you still haven’t – an ATS is a type of software that helps the hiring managers to collect and sort the CVs and resumes they get. If a company uses this tool and your resume gets filtered out by it, the hiring manager won’t even get the chance to see it.
To prevent this from happening, make your document ATS-friendly. You should:
- Change the resume header to suit the job title if needed.
- Tailor your resume to match the job requirements in the description.
- Include the keywords from the job description in your resume.
That said, make sure your text flows naturally. Don’t add any keywords just for the sake of it – otherwise, your CV will end up in the bin anyway.
3. Include a Cover Letter
Any resume works better when accompanied by a cover letter. This short document is a perfect way to quickly engage a recruiter and show your motivation in a less formal way than is acceptable in a resume/CV. In a cover letter (or statement of purpose, if you please) you can really let your personality shine through.
However, be careful. Stick to a businesslike tone and avoid sounding too enthusiastic – a hiring manager should feel that you want this job, but not too badly. Don’t forget to mention your experience, why you apply for the job, and what you can bring to the company.
Also, keep in mind that some companies mention in the job description that they don’t need a cover letter. If that’s the case – don’t bother.
4. Review Your LinkedIn Profile
Before sending an application, take the time to review your LinkedIn profile – and all of your social media profiles, for that matter. Be sure – even if there are no demands to provide the links to your profiles on social media in job descriptions, recruiters are most likely going to check your digital footprint anyway.
Therefore, questionable profiles can speak against you and transform you from a favorable candidate into an unacceptable one in a matter of minutes. So, tweak your most important accounts to showcase your best qualities and achievements.
Also, make sure there are no contradictions between the information provided. Check that your education, training, previous positions, duties, etc. are in line with what you’ve indicated in your resume.
5. Record a Video
A video resume can be an efficient alternative to a traditional cover letter. But to make it work, you should follow some rules.
- Make it 3-6 minutes long
- Explain why you chose to apply for the job and why they should hire you
- Speak clearly and confidently
- Make it as professional as possible
Surely, it doesn’t mean you need to hire a whole production team to do the video. But be honest with yourself: if you can’t sound persuasive and the video looks messy, just write a cover letter instead.
Also, keep the industry in mind: what will work for an IT company will hardly impress a marketing agency or a bank.
6. Be Authentic
All that said, here’s the most important piece of advice: be authentic. After all, you don’t need just any job – you need the one you’ll feel happy and comfortable at. If you lie your way through the whole application process (suppose you somehow manage to pull it off), you may eventually get hired – but what then?
Then, most probably, you’ll feel unhappy. People in the company will feel unhappy, too. You’ll feel like a fish out of water, and will eventually start looking for another job. If that is your initial plan – it’s on your conscience, of course. But why not try harder and find your perfect match now?
Conclusion
If you keep sending applications for months on end without even landing an interview, it’s easy to get desperate. But instead of blaming yourself or the hiring managers, you can review your application tactics.
There are many ways to make a hiring manager finally notice you and invite you for an interview. Use the ones listed in the article above and just keep trying!
