People often wonder why
they never hear anything back after they hit ‘send’ on the email with a resume
attached or on the on-line job application. If you’re very lucky, you might
have a preliminary email exchange with a recruiter and then never hear from
them again.
It’s a depressing
experience, and one which also casts a shadow on the hiring company’s
reputation. So why does it happen? Is it you, is it them, or is it just
something every candidate must prepare for in the hiring process?
There’s no question job
seekers face an uphill climb. High unemployment nationally means more
competition for every position; according to a January 2012 article in the Wall
Street Journal, Starbucks “… attracted 7.6 million job applicants over the past
12 months for about 65,000 corporate and retail job openings…”
An oft-cited
recruiter’s complaint is that as many as 50 percent of people applying for a
given job simply aren’t qualified. Adding to the challenge, most large
companies – and many smaller ones – use talent-management software to screen
resumes, weeding out up to 50 percent of applicants before a human even looks
at a resume or cover letter. The deck is definitely stacked against the job
seeker. So how do you break through?
Here are my top 5 reasons you’re not hearing back
after applying for a job, with five suggestions for ways to avoid the Resume
Black Hole.
Why You Never Hear Back:
1. You really aren’t qualified. If
a job description specifies a software developer with 3-5 years of experience
and you’re a recent graduate with one internship, it’s unlikely you’ll get a
call. Avoid disappointment – don’t apply for jobs for which you lack qualifications.
Most job descriptions are written with very specific requirements. Yes, the
company is trying to find the most qualified candidate; yes, they are trying to
weed people out. It’s not personal, it’s business.
2. You haven’t keyword-optimized your
resume or application. Job descriptions are salted with
keywords specific to the skills or attributes the company seeks in applicants.
A close read of the job description is a necessity, as is keyword-optimizing
your resume and cover letter, if you’re using one, or email. If the job
description lists words in a certain order, e.g. a list of programming
languages required, use the same order in your resume.
3. Your resume isn’t formatted
properly. You might think distinctive formatting will set
your resume apart, but automated programs don’t care if a document is pretty.
Help a machine out. Be consistent in formatting – consider using separate lines
for former employer, job title, and years worked.
4. Your resume is substantially
different from your online profile. LinkedIn, Dice and
other online profile sites can be useful tools, so it‘s important to make sure
they match what’s on your resume. This may seem to be a contradiction – in #1 I
advised keyword optimization – but it’s really common sense. Jobs worked, employers,
years on the job and other details should match. The subtext here is always
tell the truth.
5. The company received 500 resumes
for one job posting, and yours was 499th in. Looking for a
job is a job. Do your research – know which companies you want to work for,
organizations where you sense culture fit. Every morning scour the job postings
and jump on anything for which you’re qualified (and in which you’re
interested.) Being early with your resume or application does matter. Check
back often in the first few days to make sure the listing hasn’t changed. Often
a company will post a job and halfway through the process change the
description.
It’s hard to game the system. Your best bet is still
a personal referral, and even that may not be enough to get a call. A guy I
know gave his resume to a woman who worked at a company where a good job had
been posted. He received an automated email noting his resume had been received
but never heard another word. After a month he asked his friend to check with the
recruiter. It turned out the job description had changed, but the recruiter
never bothered to let the referring employee – or the applicant – know. This
isn’t unusual, unfortunately. So what can you do?
1. Research interesting companies on
social media. Find out who the recruiters are and
follow them. Many will tweet new postings, so watch their streams and jump on
anything for which you are qualified. And if they tweet news saying the
company’s had a great quarter, retweet the news with a positive comment.
2. Consider starting a blog in your
area of interest or expertise. It’s a social world;
time to build a trail of breadcrumbs leading to you. Include the blog, and
links to any especially relevant posts, in your emails to recruiters with whom
you’re working.
3. Get professional help with your
resume. Either a resume writer or an SEO expert can help
you increase your odds of getting through the talent management software. If
you can’t afford this step, read the top career blogs for advice.
4. If at all possible, don’t wait
until you’re out of work to find your next job. I
realize for many people this isn’t possible or might even be offensive, but
your chances of finding the next job are best when you’re still employed.
5. Network. Old
advice, but still true. Be visible, be upbeat, be informed about industry
trends and news in your area of expertise.
Finding a job is tough, no question. I’ve talked to
other recruiters who say they only respond to 30 percent of applicants. The
odds are good you’ll be in the 60+ percent who hears nothing a lot of the time.
Don’t take it personally – it’s not a rejection of you, it’s a reflection of
the times. If you don’t hear back, know you’re not alone.
Picture is courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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