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How To Get Interviews?

Jutta59·May 11, 2023

Posted in:Job Hunting Vents Career Growth

Hello Everyone,

I have a dilemma that I am not reading about. Everybody is discussing what to do in the interview or how to make your resume appealing; My issue is that I am not getting interviews. I am getting a lot of "while your resume is great, unfortunately... I am not getting to second base. I have the experience, I have the degrees, and I have a pleasant personality. I am just not getting interviews. What am I doing wrong?

LCRUMBLE

Jessie192·May 11, 2023

Treat the application process like an algorithm. If you're not getting interviews in first phase, then this could likely be a resume issue. - Consider that recruiters are likely spending only 6 seconds on average reviewing a resume. So make those seconds count! Make sure your resume formatting is clean, simple and easy to read. While there are plenty of gorgeous fancy resume templates out there with integrated graphics/fonts and what not, I find that the simple text based resumes seem to be most efficient.- As for content, make sure to only include the most relevant info for the position you're applying for, make sure to include and highlight keywords and skills from the job description that align to what you bring forward.- Also, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of resume review processing is now automated by digital tools...i.e. make sure that your resume is a simple .docx format so that the keywords/skills can be easily picked up digitally rather than say a .pdf format which may be more difficult to parse. Again, for this to be most efficient, make sure there is no fancy or complex formatting for your resume, only text.Once you fix these, apply apply apply! Keep an excel sheet or something similar to track your applications and callbacks.

natalieoliver·May 17, 2023

Interesting. I'm surprised by DOCX over PDF as every piece of advice I've received says the opposite so the resume is consistent and non-editable. I'll have to try both (for different positions on the same platform) and see how it goes!

Jessie192·May 17, 2023

Yeah, I generally prefer pdf since it locks in the formatting and will look the same from different system settings. However if having trouble getting interviews, it may be worth trying the .docx format to see if it results in more callbacks.This article goes into more detail of the resume .pdf vs. .docx differences:https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/resume-file-formats

EmilyHope·May 12, 2023

PDF vs Docx makes a difference?! REALLY??? :-o

Jessie192·May 12, 2023

Depends on whether the company you’re applying to leverages pdf compatible Automatic Tracking Systems.

ChitraFrench·May 11, 2023

Hello @Jutta59- I would make sure that you include some keywords from the job description that you are applying for. Most resumes are initially scanned by a robot and they are looking for words that are in the JD.

ValEsway·May 15, 2023

Recruiter here, assuring you that I personally read every single resume. Yes, I use an ATS to store and organize the candidate info, but the ATS doesn't "read" the resume. I do that. It makes no difference if the resume is PDF or Word. I agree that the more important point here is that the resume be formatted in a clean and simple way that clearly tells your story.Here is a great article with more details about the the ATS:https://hrtact.com/2020/10/05/your-job-application-was-rejected-by-a-human-not-a-computer/

latoriapierce·May 16, 2023

Hey @ValEsway! Thanks for giving us insight! I have a question for you: I hear A LOT of mixed data re: how much time a recruiter spends reviewing a resume. I know you can't speak for the entire industry but on average how long would you say a recruiter spends reviewing a candidate's resume?

ValEsway·May 17, 2023

Hi @latoriapierce! That's a valid question and I can only speak for myself but I'd say my average is a minute or two on each one, depending on the volume of resumes received. Which is why it's so important to lead with a strong summary that clearly conveys your value, target role and industry if the industry isn't obvious.

latoriapierce·May 17, 2023

This is so helpful! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

annamiller·May 11, 2023

It's 100% not about your resume. Here's a recent talk a gave on ADP List, as part of a free workshop, about this. LMK what you take away from it! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z1z5hu4-wnO5psqo3Wzqu8fj8Hp7sGZl/view?usp=share_link

ameliarave·May 19, 2023

I found this video incredibly helpful, thank you Anna. As a recent graduate and first-gen, I feel like I don't know what's acceptable and what's annoying, so this video provided a lot of context for me. I've been following the advice and have been pleasantly surprised at how willing people are to help. Thank you!

ElyseR·May 12, 2023

That's because the jobs don't exist...🫤

av·May 12, 2023

I've come to this conclusion, particularly when some of the "jobs" have had the same req reposted every two months, three times

ElyseR·May 12, 2023

The market is just terrible too. I used to get 10 recruiters in my inbox on LinkedIn a day then it dropped around November of last year. Now I'm lucky to get 1 a week.I'm lucky I have multiple careers and industries I can pivot to. I went back to my old one very quickly.Are you wasting your time applying for jobs that don't exist?https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-wasting-your-time-applying-jobs-dont-exist-dave-leverton-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&utm_campaign=share_viaIt's been going on forever just like the saying of no one wants to work...

av·May 13, 2023

Yep—also saw the dropoff in November, but the number of recruiter messages I consider legit has been zero since March. I've only gotten ones for contracting roles that pay less than I was making in 2012.

ElyseR·May 13, 2023

True then there's that too...

Sumedhaha·May 15, 2023

If you have already done all that's said above and beyond and you feel confident about your resume then the next step is to network and get referrals. Assuming you haven't tried networking, I'm elaborating on what sorta works for me.Do multiple cold reach outs to people on Linkedin at a company that has a role of your interest. Most of them will not respond (hence multiple reach outs) but those who will, will be happy to hop on a call and just chat. Take it as a coffee chat to know more about them, the company, share your experience etc. The chat should ideally end with them suggesting they can drop a referral for you or you feeling confident/comfortable enough to ask for one. Some people may politely decline (which is okay) but most people want to help fellow job seekers in this market and will help. Even if it doesn't, you get tips on how to approach the application and hiring process. These referrals often turn to screening round interviews. Let me know if you want to chat more! Good luck and don't give up :)

madelineeggering·May 15, 2023

@lcrumble I work with a company that specialized in helping executive women find not only a next role but the right role. One thing that we come across a lot with women that are looking for a new job is that they have a hard time getting the interviews or even finding the available positions to apply for. One of the biggest things that needs to happen is look at your branding and positioning. Make sure that you have the right key words in both your resume and LinkedIn so that when companies are searching to fill a position similar to the one you are looking for they find you at the top of the list. The 2nd thing that you should be doing for every role that you apply for is looking up the high level individuals for that company and try to get a connection to them. If you can have a conversation at the top you have a higher chance of landing the role. Here is the company I work for. www.bossmakeher.com

hilarykunz·May 17, 2023

The market has been and continues to be tough for job seekers. I've been looking since January and haven't gotten a lot of traction either. I would love to say that referrals help, but I haven't necessarily found that to be the case. I've had better luck with just applying with a solid cover letter. With that being said, I still reach out to 1st and 2nd connections on LinkedIn, and the job's recruiter or hiring manager if I can find them, and ask for a referral or initial conversation. The whole process can quickly become overwhelming and take a toll. I can't recommend enough taking time each day to focus on you and something you enjoy to take your mind off it. It's okay to take a step back during this process.