Why is getting an interview so hard and what can you do to improve your chances?

You may have heard that recruiters look at a resume for six seconds before deciding if the resume is worth a longer look. Why is that and what are they looking for? What about getting past resume-reading software? I will suggest several tips, but the key theme is to create a plan and focus your efforts to maximize your time and resources. The chances of getting an interview can be significantly increased by utilizing three resources: your network, recruiters and you! (your resume)

Get Your Resume in Front of a Human

Network, Network, Network

First and foremost, the best way to get an interview is through a referral. This referral does not have to be from someone you have worked with in the past, and for maximum impact this person must be currently working for the company you are applying for. For greater detail on what networking is and how to build that network.

Most companies have a referral program in which current employees are incentivized to refer candidates that are ultimately hired. While company processes differ, this can often mean that an employee needs to email or physically hand your resume to HR or the hiring manager. Congrats! You just bypassed application software (though you may need to apply as a matter of process) and just avoided the black hole of an inbox where applications and resumes go to be screened.

Recruiters and Staffing Agencies

Disclaimer: I work for a staffing agency (a quick view of my profile will show you which one), but I am not telling you that you have to use one (or even which one), but rather, the benefits of doing so and that employers are heavily using staffing agencies.

There are three basic types of hiring solutions that, as a candidate, you should be aware of. It is important to understand that some agencies do one, two or all three types. It is equally important to understand what is common in your field.

Contract Staffing—Simply, this is not a full time or direct hire; you are paid by the staffing agency, but work with/for their client. Companies may use this service for reasons such as covering a leave of absence, seasonal (construction, perhaps), project based (implementing a new software and you need all historical data transferred). Note: there can be a set length, on-going or even “temp-to-hire” (AKA contract-to-direct) which means that after a trial period, you could be hired full time by the company you are working with.

Direct placement (contingency)—You will be hired directly by the company and the staffing agency is paid by the client for finding and placing you.

Direct placement (retained)—Same as contingency, however, the employer is ONLY working with this one agency and not posting internally either. This means, some jobs are only available through a recruiter. This generally applies for more senior level roles.

Your Resume

“The 6 Second Rule”

When a recruiter (or any HR professional) is reviewing your resume, they are looking for three things right away. These three things will determine if your resume gets a longer view and, ultimately, sent to the hiring manager. So, what are they looking for? Recruiters are looking for 1) relevant experience; they are looking at your most recent 2-3 jobs and checking for company names, tenure at those employers, 2) a quick scan of key words or skills, and to a lesser degree 3) your objective/statement (I personally don’t review this, but often, recruiters, HR professionals or hiring authorities may).

Are qualified candidates skipped over because of a high level review of your resume? Undoubtedly. However, many professional postings will generate hundreds, if not thousands of resumes and the majority of those applications should not have been submitted. For every single job I have posted, I have received a resume from someone with very limited, and unrelated, work experience...Even for VP openings that require 10-15 years of industry experience. This gives recruiters and HR professionals no choice but to establish semi-arbitrary rules for first looks AND be quick doing so. Recruiters and HR professionals have deadlines and are working with hiring managers that want their positions “filled yesterday”. This is the reality of the hiring process so your time and effort to make your resume stand out, and quickly, is essential.

Don’t “Shotgun” Your Resume

To “Shotgun” your resume is sending a generic resume to hundreds of companies, hoping for one to score a “hit”. It is also been called “resume blasting”.

Don’t do this. Ever. If you want your resume to get past the first set of human eyes, you will need to tailor your resume for every job you apply to. Your intention may be to get your resume looked at by as many companies as possible but it could ultimately be a waste of your time as it sends the message that you are not committed to and focused on the specific position available. Recruiters and HR professionals look at hundreds, sometimes thousands, of resumes each year; they can tell right off if a resume is generic or if care has been taken to understand and tailor the resume to the available position and company values. This necessity of tailoring for the job and company you are applying for includes the cover letter as well (I will discuss cover letters in detail in a future post).

Next, we will take a look at a few sections that should be on the majority of resumes. In a future post I will cover in great detail on how to construct a great resume (covering best practices and examples for each section, as well as key words to use/not use).

Resume Content and Sections

There are hundreds of ways to format and sequence your resume but the most important thing to know is what exactly recruiters are looking for. The follow content (i.e. the objective) may not be looked at by every recruiter, HR professional or hiring manager. However, some of these sections are held in high regard and since you do not know their individual preferences, it is a good idea to include them.

Objective: Your objective should be the first thing on your resume (below name and contact information). Research the company and the position to create a customized objective line. Every time.

Summary Statement: This is optional and different than an objective. This is where you summarize your core competencies (skills). For maximum effect, they must align with the company’s needs and objectives for this position. The summary statement is usually 2-4 sentences in length.

Relevant Experience: List your jobs in chronological order, starting with the most recent. The goal of this section is to make it clear to the reader (computer software included) what exactly you achieved in each role. Do not simply list your duties. You want to include key words/skills that are relevant to the role you are applying for (and that you have actually used). It should be concise, but still show the value you are adding to the company (shown through metrics such as sales, time saved, etc.)

Additional Sections: You should include sections such as “Education and Certifications”, “Leadership Experience” and “Volunteer Experience”

Summary

Most job-seekers consider the resume to be the most important factor when it comes to getting an interview. While you have to submit a resume to be considered (and a poorly constructed one will severely hurt your chances of getting an interview), they are ineffective by themselves and are most powerful when partnered with staffing agencies and by utilizing your network. By following the tips above and researching additional best practices for your specific industry, you will see an increase in interviews.

Stay tuned for future posts regarding cover letter and resume building tips.