You submit your resume online. You never get a reply. You submit your resume online. You get an acknowledgement immediately. And then nothing. You submit your application online. It’s 2 am. You get a rejection letter fifteen seconds later.
The resume screen algorithm has rejected you. It doesn’t sleep, it doesn’t really read your resume, it’s programmed to count the number of times you used keywords.
How many times have you been rejected by an algorithm? And what are you going to do about it?!
Tech start-up recruiter Malyn DeGuzman was rejected thirteen times when she applied for positions as a tech recruiter. At the time, Malyn had more than a decade of experience recruiting, hiring and building successful teams for labor unions and election campaigns. She knew how to recruit talent. She had a proven track record. What she didn’t know – then – was how to beat the screen.
And beat the screen she did, because today Malyn is sought out by start-ups to source and recruit and diversify their staff. She’s damn good at it!
We were honored to have Malyn as a guest presenter at the Interview Club. Here’s her advice on how to get in front of hiring managers.
Network. 70 percent of people that get hired got there through networking!
Ask people in your network to submit your resume to the hiring manager, regardless of whether you’ve submitted the application online. When your contact has to do is forward your resume and say the position you’re interested in, then the hiring manager is going to bug that recruiter to check out the candidate. Bingo! You just got visibleJ
For the company or organization you’re targeting, find the name of the recruiter, search firm or talent acquisition firm that the company uses. Connect on LinkedIn and follow up with a call. Malyn suggests cultivating a relationship with the recruiter and following up as often as every week (!) Persistence is the key.
Have a presence, a lively presence, on LinkedIn. That means: a photo, recommendations, posts to your work and posts to articles of interest.
Join professional groups on LinkedIn in the field or professional area you’re interested in, even if you’re not working in that area now. After you’ve joined, use the group to get introductions for positions you’re after.
Your LinkedIn profile: Be concise. Use action-oriented language. Show your successes and results of your work. Don’t just post your resume!
For keywords that make the cut: Do a Boolean search using Google or Bing to find job position titles. Then copy, emulate and borrow verbs in your resume; use the right key words.
For resumes:
List the last ten years of work.
Be concise, clear, and give concrete examples.
Don’t disclose your graduate date.
Make sure your work history correlates with the job you’re after.
Have a complete chronology. It’s okay to note what you were doing during times of e.g. “caretaker for an aging parent.”
Post your resume on Indeed and Monster.
Network, network, network– use LinkedIn to find people who know people who can introduce you to people who can get your resume in front of hiring managers.
Remember that you are skilled, you are a good fit. Make sure you communicate that you’ll be a success and you’ll help make the company successful!
You can find a great recruiter (like Malyn)! Remember: great recruiters will advocate for you with clients or hiring managers. They will be able to help screen jobs for fit with your criteria. So, get clear about what you’re looking for in your next position, get your online presence in shape, and get active making connections.