Appealing to Businesses Part 1: Getting the Interview
When applying for a job with over 250 applicants, how do you increase your chances of getting to the actual interview? How do you make yourself more appealing to employers from the start?
In addition to supporting businesses in their hiring process, I want to help candidates navigate the job search process. When I was interviewing for positions, I felt generally confident about how to put my best foot forward, but looking back now, there are so many things I would change both in how I applied to jobs and how I interviewed for them. Over the next two weeks, I want to share the main takeaways I’ve gained from my experience hiring these last few years.
This week, Part 1: Getting the Interview – How to stand out among 250 other LinkedIn Applications
Next week, Part 2: During the Interview Process – How to best represent yourself and your skillset, and stand out from the other candidates
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Getting the Interview
In order to motivate you to actually implement these changes, I want to clarify what your application looks like from the employer’s side. As most employer’s use LinkedIn for their job postings, we are going to use LinkedIn’s application portal as our example.
On average, a LinkedIn job posting receives between 100-300 applications. When scrolling through applicants, employers see only a snapshot of each candidate, which includes:
Your name
Your photo
Your location
Your career title
The last 3-5 jobs you’ve held
It is a common misconception that employers will review every applicant’s resume before deciding who they will contact for the interview. On the LinkedIn platform, the resume is often hidden, with a message like “Scanning resume for viruses. Please refresh the page now.” So for the employer to view your resume, they would have to refresh the page, wait for it to load, and then download your resume to see more details, and review the file in their downloads folder. When you have limited time and have to sort through hundreds of applications, employers are only likely to download the resumes from those that have the strongest and clearest snapshots of the items listed above. Remember, your goal is to simplify this process for them and remove any potential barriers between your application and receiving an invite to interview.
One tip: Above the area where resumes are populated, cover letters appear and often do not need to be downloaded. In my experience, cover letters are uncommon and can be a helpful way to identify those who seem particularly interested in the position. I am significantly more likely to spend time on the page of those who include cover letters than those who do not.
To improve your chances of getting to the interview, let’s address common pitfalls associated with the following snapshot items:
1. Your Photo
For employers, photos can be a helpful tool in getting an idea of who the applicant is, their professionalism, and their style, yet many applicants don’t upload photos to their LinkedIn profiles. Particularly if you are applying for roles with design-minded or creative companies, this is an opportunity to communicate your style — don’t discount it!
2. Your Location
Within the LinkedIn portal, employers can filter out applicants who are not local to the business, and many do. Hiring an out-of-state employee introduces multiple variables: Are they expecting a relocation fee? Will they like it here once they move? How much time will they need to settle in? In the beginning, you don’t want to add any reasons for them to pass on you. If you’re planning to move but haven’t yet, change your location to the place you’re moving. Take every opportunity to reduce any concerns on their end.
3. Your Career Title
Use this opportunity to clarify who you are and what you do best while paying attention to the keywords used in the jobs you’re applying for. Were you technically an Administrative Assistant in your previous role, but the positions you’re applying for use the term “Executive Assistant”? Then change it. As long as you are highlighting your skillset and representing your professional experience, changing keywords to match the job descriptions will only increase your chances of being invited to interview.
4. Your Last 2 Jobs
While employers have the option to “view other job titles” on the site, they will automatically see the last two jobs you’ve held. If you don’t have a photo, your job title doesn’t align with the role they’re looking to fill, and your last two jobs don’t seem relevant to the position, it’s unlikely that they will explore further. Make sure the last two jobs listed on your profile reflect the career title you’ve chosen. Make adjustments to keywords as needed.
Additional Tips to Stand Out:
Include cover letters in your applications. Write a template that reflects your career title and most relevant experience, leaving room at the top to address it to the specific company you’re applying for. You only need to make the template once!
Write a clear, 2-3 sentence summary of your background in the About section of your profile. If I’m unclear on a candidate’s background or want to get a better sense of their communication style, seeing how they describe themselves in the About section can be helpful!
If you’re just starting out and unsure where to begin, the most important takeaway should be to simplify who you are and what your skillset is by tailoring your resume and LinkedIn profile to a specific type of role. For example, if you’re interested in both becoming an Executive Assistant and starting in a Sales position, create two separate resumes. This clarity in your professional goals will make it way easier for your resume to stand out among 200 other applicants.
For those who are most established in their career path, ensure that your resume and profile reflect the keywords used in the job descriptions you are applying for. This helps employers quickly identify your qualifications and increases your chances of getting an interview. And remember, a well-chosen photo can speak volumes, especially when applying to creative or design-focused companies.
Next week in Part 2, we’ll discuss how to appeal to businesses during the actual interview itself.
Thank you for reading and hope this has been helpful!!!
Devin
PS. If you are a business in need of hiring support, send me an email! I don’t take a salary percentage of the hire or have any hidden fees or contractual obligations, just a transparent hourly rate to help businesses find and retain the right new hire for their business. Hope to connect with you soon! Recruitment@devintrevino.co