Career Andrea Navarro Career Andrea Navarro

This Is What Really Happens When You Submit an Online Job Application

And how to get yours noticed.

There are now officially more jobs available than before the pandemic. The number of job openings reached nearly 15 million by mid-March, which is up from 10 million before the pandemic began. And making sure your job application stands out from all the other applicants is a bit trickier than it seems.

Many hiring managers and recruiters default to either using an applicant tracking system or doing keyword searches to determine if candidates are qualified. Keyword searches are an easy way to determine if it’s worth taking the time to look at a résumé or not, which is why applicant tracking systems have become so widely utilized.

There is a lot of information out there, but there are four main things you should know about applicant tracking systems.

What Is an Applicant Tracking System?

An applicant tracking system is a system used by many hiring managers and recruiters to sift through résumés and find qualified candidates. It basically lets the user type in keywords to find candidates who have those words or qualifications listed in their résumé. This is an easy way to separate seemingly qualified candidates from unqualified candidates.

There Isn't Just One Applicant Tracking System

People often ask me if I am “familiar with ATS” as if “ATS” is a program like Microsoft Office. An applicant tracking system is a type of program, and there are hundreds of different applicant tracking systems out there. There is no way to know exactly how each applicant tracking system will work and what it will and will not catch in your résumé. 

What You Can Do to Increase Your Chances

The best way to ensure your application comes up in keyword searches and makes it past an applicant tracking system is to go through the job description that you’re interested in applying to and integrating those keywords and phrases throughout your document. Yes, you need to put in the work and customize your résumé for each job you apply to.

Do your desired job descriptions utilize keywords or phrases that you can use in your résumé? Does a job description have a more eloquent way of wording one of your job duties? If you’re not using current job postings to help you write your résumé, you’re doing yourself a disservice. See how industry professionals talk about jobs and utilize that in your document. Using industry jargon will also help you appear more professional and knowledgeable about what you do.

Additionally, the ultimate way to get your résumé into the right hands is to use your industry connections. If you have a contact who can direct your résumé to the right person, use it. “Job search is about going beyond the résumé to get noticed. Real relationships with colleagues and friends matter in getting a foot in the door,” says career coach Alyson Garrido.

The Reality

There is no way to create one résumé that will work for every job you apply to and “beat” every applicant tracking system. There is no way to know what system a company will use and what it will pick up within a résumé. All you can do is cater your résumé to the job you’re applying to, integrate keywords and phrases, and provide concrete examples of your accomplishments and achievements.

Alyson Garrido went on to say, “Relationships and follow-ups are key components of the job search. If someone recommends you for a role, you're far more likely to get an interview and bypass the applicant tracking system. Also, if you're among 20 candidates who get past the ATS, but you follow up, it's highly likely your résumé will be reviewed.”

There are plenty of online sources that will tell you they have the secret algorithm for beating applicant tracking systems, but the reality is that there is no way to create one perfect résumé to meet all of your needs for every job you apply to. If someone tells you that they can create this for you, they are lying. It’s impossible.

The best way to make progress on your job search is to leverage your industry connections, put in the legwork, craft a résumé that articulates all that you’ve achieved, and customize it for each job you apply to with keywords from the job description.

About the author: A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a certified professional résumé writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal styles. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your résumé, style, and boost your confidence.

Love this story? Pin the below graphic to your Pinterest board.

This Is What Really Happens When You Submit an Online Job Application.jpg

This story was originally published on August 24, 2018, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Career, Advice, Work Life Tyeal Howell Career, Advice, Work Life Tyeal Howell

How to Land the Job You're Overqualified For

Work that cover letter.

You have all of the qualifications and more, but you just can’t seem to land the job. Sound familiar? It’s harder to land a job that you’re overqualified for than you might think.

Employers want to hire an employee who is the right fit in every sense of the phrase. If an employer sees you as overqualified, their concern might be that the compensation won’t be enough to keep you in the role, or worse, that you’ll be bored in the role and won’t do well.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the result of poor job fit and employee turnover can cost an organization between 50 to 60% of the person’s annual salary. In other words, companies have to be extremely strategic when it comes to hiring, so if an interviewer or hiring manager has any inkling that you might not be the best candidate to fill the role, they will likely go with someone else.

Here are some tips for how to apply for a job you’re overqualified for—and get it!

TAILOR YOUR RÉSUMÉ TO THE JOB

Customize your résumé to meet the exact position you’re interested in. This is important when applying for any job, but when you’re overqualified for a position, it becomes even more crucial.

When you’re trying to customize your résumé to meet a job you’re overqualified for, the key is to highlight all of the skills and qualifications that the desired job description holds, and downplay unnecessary information that might deter someone from hiring you.

For example, if you held the title of client relationship manager and did everything from sales to client onboarding, to office management and administrative tasks, but you’re applying for an administrative assistant, you’ll want to highlight the office management and client-facing communication, and you’ll most likely want to downplay the sales aspects of your previous role.

Note: This does not mean that you should “dumb down” your résumé. It’s always great to highlight that you’re smart, strong, and capable, however when you’re applying for a job that you’re overqualified for, you need to highlight the requirements of the given job description and show your potential employer why you will be great and satisfied with the role. 

WORK THAT COVER LETTER

You can only customize a résumé so much. Your cover letter is where you can explain exactly why you want this specific position, and why you would be amazing at it. When you’re applying for a job that you’re overqualified for, use the cover letter to explain why you want to take on a role that may be beneath you.

This could be any reason, from caring deeply about a cause or wanting to work with this specific company, or even something more personal like relocation due to a family member. Whatever your reason is, use your cover letter to explain yourself and show the reader that you truly do want the position even if it might be a lower-level position that you’ve held in the past.

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

It’s easy to feel like you’re a shoo-in for the role if you have all of the qualifications and more, but try your best to look at it from the perspective of the hiring manager. Take note of the potential downfalls of hiring someone overqualified for the position, and aim to highlight why that won’t be a problem in your documents. Show all of the reasons why it would be beneficial to hire you and show the reader why you really want the job. Employers want to hire candidates who want to be there, and if you can show that through your résumé and cover letter, you will have a much better shot at securing the role.

Landing a job that you’re overqualified for is harder than you might expect, but if you can persuade your potential employer that you really want to take on the job and that you’re excited about it, the process will be much easier. Remember that it is a risk to hire an employee who is overqualified for a position, and show your potential employer why you’re worth that risk!

About the Author: A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a certified professional résumé writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish an individual’s application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your résumé, style, and boost your confidence.

Love this story? Pin the below graphic to your Pinterest board.

How to Apply for a Job You're Overqualified For (and Get It).jpg

This story was originally published on May 17, 2018, and has since been updated.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Read More
Business, Advice, Culture Arianna Schioldager Business, Advice, Culture Arianna Schioldager

The Power of Personalization (And Why It's Not A Fad)

What's your call-sign? 

photo by Mark and Graham 

Initials. Nicknames. Catchphrases. We’ve all got ‘em.

Maybe it’s a nickname you were given as a kid, and you’ve grown to love. Maybe it’s a motto that you’ve chosen to live your life by. Whatever it may be, there’s a nostalgia that comes along with adopting something that represents you to the outside world.

Back in the day (‘90s babies, we’re looking at you), monogramming was the easiest way for you (and let’s be honest, your parents) to easily identify your backpack in the sea of other Jansport carry-alls.

But as we’ve gotten older (and hopefully more mature…), we’ve brought our desire for product personalization with us. We’ve gone as far as wanting to don our personal branding on denim jackets, leather totes, even bandanas.

What is it that we love so much about adding our personal imprint onto things?  Well, think of it like a fingerprint, it’s distinct to you and symbolizes ownership, which frankly, makes us feel special, maybe even a little important.

Mark & Graham, a leather goods and timeless gifts company, recognized the emotional connection we have to adding our emblems on products and capitalized on it, BIG TIME.

Not only do they offer monogramming as an easy add-on to each order, they also make the monogramming options anything but uniform — with over 100 ways to customize each monogram. That’s a whole lot of options and boy, do we love it!

Adding a personal touch to your job application could be the difference between landing the interview and getting stuck in the abyss with all the other generic, predictable resume. 

Tweet this. 

 

What if we took this same principle and applied it to something maybe a little less glamorous? Say, the job hunt? Or our office? Hear us out for a minute!

Adding a personal touch to your job application could be the difference between landing the interview and getting stuck in the abyss with all the other generic, predictable resumes…. and we don’t want that for you. 

So, let’s talk about how you separate yourself from the pack by injecting a little personality! Hint: it’s time to ditch the Times New Roman and shed the frivolous space-fillers.

Jazz Up the Format

Whether they admit it or not, most people are driven by aesthetics. They like things that are clean, curated, and look like a decent amount of thought went into putting it together (it’s why we love Instagram so much). Your resume should be no different. Add personal design touches by mixing up the format, injecting a signature color, or even adding in the logo from your blog you’ve been curating for years.

Want to make design changes, but  don’t feel exactly design-inclined? Head to marketplaces like Etsy, where people put their graphic design backgrounds to good use and make one-of-a-kind templates that you can purchase and then populate with your information!

Tailor the Content 

You’ve heard it a thousand times, but for good reason. It may take longer, but spend the time editing your resume to best fit the job description you are applying for. Why take up prime real estate on your resume with something that doesn’t pertain to the exact job at hand? Personalize it to the job you are applying for. Everyone wants to feel a little special.

Once, you’ve landed the job…

Personalize your Space 

No matter what kind of desk you have -- cubicle, co-working, or corner office, there are ways to make your space say, hey world, this is my little corner of the working universe. Perhaps a Leather Charger Rollup, so no one gets confused about whose is whose. A monogrammed Copper Pencil Cup is also a brilliant idea for making sure you write down your brilliant ideas. (Also serves as a wonderful gift for a co-worker…) And a personal Desk Embosser has the word ‘boss’ in it for good reason.

Tell us, how are you standing out and adding your personal touch to life?

 

MORE FROM THE BLOG 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read More
Advice, Career Arianna Schioldager Advice, Career Arianna Schioldager

How to Apply for Out of State Jobs in 2017

New year, new state-of-mind. 

photo credit: Lovely Indeed

If your plans for 2017 include a move, here’s how to apply for out of state jobs. There seems to be a common fear of applying to out of state jobs, but it’s actually fairly simple. The best way to apply for out of state jobs is to apply as if you were in state. What does this mean? Keep reading to find out!

FIX THE HEADER ON YOUR RESUME

The first mistake many people make is that they don’t change the header of their resume. The first step to applying for out of state jobs is to change up your header so it reflects the location where you’re applying to. No need to include an address, but if you’re applying for jobs in Boulder, Colorado, include “Boulder, CO” in place of your current address. 

Employers often shy away from out of state or long distance candidates because they simply don’t want to deal with travel/ or potential relocation costs, and want to start scheduling interviews quickly. Eliminate the opportunity for employers to write you off because of your location when initially reading your resume by applying as if you were in-state.

The way I always explain it to clients is this: If it comes up, be transparent and explain that you’re going to relocate, however there’s no need to give people the opportunity to pass you up because of your location.

"There’s no need to give people the opportunity to pass you up because of your location."

Tweet this

If a company feels that you’re the right candidate for the job, location won’t matter. 

DO THE RESEARCH

This territory comes with applying for any job, but it’s especially important when you’re applying out of state. Because you’re going to have to relocate for the position, you need to show recruiters and/or hiring managers why you’re worth the hassle, and why you really want the position.

Do your research on the company and job so you can include company specific information in both your resume and cover letter. A great way to do this is to find an area which you believe the company can improve and discuss how you feel you can improve it for them.

BUDGET WISELY 

If you’re applying for out of state positions, you need to be ready to hop on a plane (or jump in the car) and get there for an interview. If you reached out and applied for an out of state job, it’s your responsibility to pay the cost of travel and relocation.

If a company is pursuing you, meaning they reached out first, you can expect cost of travel and relocation to be covered, however if it’s the other way around, it’s all on you. The easiest way to ruin your chances of landing an out of state job is to be fussy and unaccommodating. If you want to land a job (and move) out of state, you need to be ready to jump at the opportunity. If a company feels like you’re too much of a hassle or that you’re not willing to make the necessary arrangements, they will likely go with another candidate (probably a local choice).

________

2017 is a new year and holds new opportunities. If those opportunities include a big move, learn how to apply for out of state jobs the right way. The best way to apply for out of state jobs is to act as if you’re a local candidate, show potential employers why you’re the solution to their problem(s), and be ready to jump at any opportunity. 

When applying for any job, it’s important to show employers why you want the position and why you’ll be the best fit, however when you’re applying to out of state jobs, it’s even more crucial. If you can’t show employers that you’re worth the risk of hiring someone in another state, you won’t be able to land the job. The bottom line is that you need to show employers that you’re willing to do anything to get the position. Show them this and you’ll be good to go!

A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your resume, style, and boost your confidence.

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Read More