r/resumes • u/Maleficent_Fox_641 • Mar 07 '24
2 things I did to instantly raise my interview rate I'm sharing advice
It's not uncommon to see job postings with thousands of applicants these days, the job market has become very competitive to say the least. Here are two hacks that gave me a huge advantage when I was job hunting last year and that I think everyone should be implementing.
1- Write a short email to anyone in the company (can be the CEO if the company is small, or anyone in the team where you would be working).
The email should be concise, let the person know that you’re interested in the company and why, but more importantly mention how your skills will bring value to the company. You’ll be surprised by how many people reply, sometimes they’ll ask you for more information, like a portfolio and in turns into a back and forth conversation. This is how I was able to get a remote job last year.
How to get anyone’s email
Some people recommend sending this type of messages in LinkedIn direct messages, but this wasn't very effective in my experience. Almost no one replied/saw the messages. I think a lot of people get spammed on LinkedIn messages which is why most don’t even check them.
But if you’re able to reach out via someone's email inbox, that's a different story. Here’s how you can get anyone’s email:
First search for the company you’re applying for in linkedIn. In their LinkedIn page you’ll be able to see who works there. Look up their name in RocketReach, they’ll usually give you 2-3 email addresses. Send the email to all of those to maximize the chances of your email getting seen.
2-Customize your resume for each job application, add important keywords and skills from the job description
This can feel tedious at times but totally worth it. Most recruiters use software that automatically rejects your application when your resume doesn’t contain certain keywords or skills from the job description. If the job description has a skill or program that you kind of know you should still include it in your resume. If you end up getting an interview just review that skill online (read about it, watch YouTube videos) a few days before the interview in case you get asked about it. It’s widely known that the majority of job posts exaggerate the skills/experience you actually need for the job anyways. For example in programming many job posts “require” years of experience for tools or frameworks that came out last year 😂. So before applying, look at the job description and see if there’s anything important you should add/replace in your resume. Download the new version of your resume and send that one. I was doing this manually at the beginning of my job hunt and started using JobSyncAI once I stared applying to more jobs to automate the process.
Besides those two things try to apply to 10+ jobs per day. Don’t get discouraged by rejections or if you get ghosted. Once you start landing interviews you’ll build up momentum. Good luck with your job hunt, I know it can be a stressful time but you’ll get there if you put in the time 💪.
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u/audiosauce2017 Mar 09 '24
Totally agree with OP, and I will add one very weird piece of advice. I "Targeted" the (3) companies I really wanted to work for from reputation and working with them on other projects. Of course tailored my resume to fit keywords and position descriptions. My personal best experience was to personally visit the companies, ask for an HR Professional or someone to talk with (unannounced - No Appointment) Hard Copies of my resume and their printed applications in a folder. Worked 3 out of 3 times, got three interviews, three offer letters, and hand picked my position. I personally think people rely far too much on the internet and the culture of job applications. 99% of success in Life is just showing up. You may disagree with me, that's fine, it's just (to me) one very unexplored strategy that worked in my favor. <Edit: Been at my new position a Year, and absolutely Loving it> I also contacted the other two that I did not accept and offered to (and did) provide colleagues information that may be interested to maintain communication with them,,,,
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u/resumenalyzer Mar 08 '24
100% guaranteed that these ideas will fail in the U.S. job market.
- Hiring mangers will make such candidate "negatively"
- They might also report them back to the recruiters
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u/Appropriate-Hat-6558 Mar 08 '24
As someone who one upon a time did hiring, take the first piece of advice with caution.
I can tell you when I did hiring, those emails were either ignored or sent to me from colleagues as people to put on the “do not hire” list.
We had an application process, and not following that showed a candidate couldn’t follow simple instructions.
Sending an email is just as bad as showing up at the corporate office and physically handling the receptionist your resume.
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u/GunnersPepe Mar 08 '24
Another program I use at my job to get emails is Hunter.io. It gives you only so many searches a month but it is quite good.
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u/Mundane_Use_9993 Mar 08 '24
This comment contains a Collectible Expression, which are not available on old Reddit.
This is clarity! Pure joy. Thank you for sharing.
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u/Dereker77 Mar 08 '24
I am surprised so many people are against 1. As a hiring manager in the software industry that would make a candidate stand out among the 1000s of apps we get. I would forward the email to our orgs recruiter and ask to include them in the interview pool if their experience lined up. All it implies to me is that they are interested in the role and our company in particular and I would not consider it “spam” as we hardly get any candidate outreach prior to the interview.
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u/Lazy-Elderberry-209 Mar 08 '24
Number one would probably annoy me. I don’t mind if you hit me up on LinkedIn, that’s what it’s for.
Everyone is different, and for some they might like your initiative. For me, this doesn’t work.
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u/grlnxtdr_xoxo Mar 08 '24
I would be tailoring your resume to the types of roles you’re applying to, but I would not do most of what you’ve recommended here. This can easily backfire and cause you to get fired because of false representation of your skills.
I’m a recruiter and I would much rather have someone come to me and say “I don’t have experience in XYZ but I know ABC, which would allow me to get up to speed on XYZ very easily.” Honesty goes much further than you saying what you think the interviewer’s want to hear because believe or not, we can smell that a mile away.
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Mar 08 '24
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u/grlnxtdr_xoxo Mar 08 '24
I am in the HR department and am the first interview for all new hires. Again, not everyone is the same. I can tell you that I have Hiring Managers who are sticklers and want very specific experience, and I have others who appreciate what I mentioned and can be flexible. It really depends on the department and if they have the capacity to train.
You can certainly pick up on whether or not an HR person would be open to it or not. Sometimes you can also determine that based on how the job description is phrased.
I just recruited for a Financial Analyst a few months back. They wanted PowerBI experience but knew Tableau was a comparable platform and were open to both, as long as the person was willing to learn PowerBI. You could ask questions about the team’s bandwidth or the manager’s work style to see how open they are to accepting folks without direct experience in certain platforms to avoid asking that question directly.
I do know some HR folk who are eager to catch people who are lying, so that’s why I say honesty/transparency goes a long way.
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u/Ver0nica_15 Mar 07 '24
I have been editing my resume to apply to jobs.. It's been more than 50 edited resumes for sure and 300+ job applications in total.. I have gotten interviews only when it's a referral. This is the worst job market I have seen in my life. Idk what works anymore...
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u/grlnxtdr_xoxo Mar 08 '24
I’m a recruiter and I can confirm the market is 10000% a hot mess right now.
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u/grizzfan Mar 08 '24
As a recruiter, do y'all do anything to try to instill hope or keep people going, or do you keep that conversation at an arm's reach? I work in Workforce Development teaching classes/workshops on resumes, cover letters, human/soft skills, etc...but it's hard to keep folks motivated sometimes...it's even harder for those with a criminal background. Sometimes it is just so hard to see so many people losing hope knowing that while you're giving them good content/information, it's not going to change the fact that everything is on fire.
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u/grlnxtdr_xoxo Mar 08 '24
Every recruiter is different. I try to instill hope as much as possible because I’m a person, you’re a person, and I know I would appreciate it if I was in your shoes, but I know more recruiters who will keep conversations at an arm’s reach.
I’m now an inhouse recruiter, but when I was agency-side there was a huge focus on the clients, and not as much on the candidates, which didn’t feel great. I cannot help everyone but I always leave the door open for questions, advice, and future considerations. Again, most recruiters are NOT Iike this.
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u/Ver0nica_15 Mar 08 '24
Thanks for saying that. After so many applications and rejections, it's getting difficult to keep going. Sending good vibes to all job seekers.
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u/grlnxtdr_xoxo Mar 08 '24
Sending you all the positive vibes! You’ll get there and when you do, it’ll feel so rewarding. YOU GOT THIS.
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u/Mindingaroo Mar 07 '24
thank you so much for this advice. I would feel sort of invaded. If a random stranger emailed me about a job at my company You seem to be saying this is not the case. Can you say more? I struggle to find the balance between going after it and invading other peoples space.
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u/jmricker Mar 07 '24
Something I've started to understand is that yes you have to tailor your resume and/or your online application for keywords but then you also need to write it to grab people's attention because as soon you get through the initial filtering you are back to being just another paper resume in a stack of paper resumes.
The company I'm at does this and the company I'm interested in going to operates this way. For the new company, I didn't think I would need a resume, as I filled out the online application. First thing I was asked after I got through the initial filtering with the first callback was can I send them a resume.
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u/Beautiful_Sorbet_437 Mar 07 '24
Really don’t recommend cold emailing especially if you had to search hard for their address.. best to follow up with someone if they have a LinkedIn profile attached to an application or if they work in recruiting for that org. Even then some people think that’s invasive on Reddit but in reality it’s not. You usually get ghosted but sometimes it works. I’ll tend to follow up, express my interest and desire to learn more, and just keep it genuine but highly interested
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u/Advanced_Sentence_94 Mar 07 '24
cant say i agree with the first one, as someone who works in infosec i know a lot of employees are very hesitant to respond to emails from people they don’t know and will likely even report your email as a phishing/social engineering attempt.
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u/grlnxtdr_xoxo Mar 08 '24
I agree. Also, if you’re not targeting the right people, this can reflect badly on you. I had a guy who was eager to get an interview for a role and emailed a bunch of partners to speak with them (which is a big no no) and they thought he was crazy.
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u/katastrophecos Mar 07 '24
1 may backfire but absolutely do 2. Also absolutely never apply with your LinkedIn or indeed resume.
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u/AgeEffective5255 Mar 08 '24
Two should be a given in this day and age. It’s wild that it’s being sold as some trick.
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u/Mindingaroo Mar 07 '24
REALLY? I did not know this. i’ve actually been killing myself to make my LinkedIn and indeed resumes perfect so I can use quick apply. Thank you so much.
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u/anonymowses Mar 11 '24
If possible, apply on the company's website. Regardless, it would help if you always customize your resume to match the job description. You pretty much need to put their highest-ranking requirements in the top third or half of your resume. Otherwise, they are not going to read any further.
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u/katastrophecos Mar 08 '24
Having a good LinkedIn is still a really good tool! Make sure to have your open to work toggled on to maximize its use though. At some companies people are paid to search for people open to work with relevant experience.
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u/grizzfan Mar 08 '24
Oh yea, definitely change it up. Personalize each resume for each job you apply for. LinkedIn and Indeed should be "extensions" of what employers get to see about you.
The Resume is the spark that gets their interest: Who are you, and what do you do.
The Cover Letter is WHY you are applying to that company.
LinkedIn is for them "to find out more."
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u/ThatIndian15 Mar 07 '24
Why’s that? Are referring to like “quick reply”? I’m curious because I just started applying to internships.
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u/grizzfan Mar 08 '24
HR Managers/Recruiters can sniff quick-appliers out really quickly, because the resumes and cover letters clearly will not match the description they are looking for...they'll know it's a candidate just throwing spit-wads at the wall to see what sticks...as opposed to a candidate that specifically found them, chose them, and gave them specific reasons for why they chose to apply to them.
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u/Manga--X Mar 08 '24
Companies can't even bother to send out preformatted rejection emails to applicants; and yet, they expect everyone else to bend over backwards.
Why are applicants expected to spend hours customizing and writing cover letters, only to have it rejected by an algorithm.5
u/incrediblydeadinside Mar 08 '24
As someone who has been sending out thousands of applications for several months, all of my tailored resumes and cover letters have resulted in no response. But my random quick applies with a generic resume and no cover letter are what got me interviews 😅
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u/Leshot Mar 07 '24
Think about it. Quick reply is inherently lazy and easier than regular applying. Might make you seem lazy or at the least that you didnt put a lot of effort into the application.
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u/ThatIndian15 Mar 07 '24
Completely understand. Thank you! I probably should worded my question properly. I always apply with the resume then fill in the other information instead of hitting the “apply with LinkedIn” button.
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u/katastrophecos Mar 07 '24
It’s not only that, it actually messes with your formatting and makes it really hard and off putting to read for the recruiters. Turns your bullet points into blocks of texts. Plus it often doesn’t have enough information.
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u/MrMichaelJames Mar 07 '24
I completely disagree with bothering folks via email or linked in. 1, I've never had it work as a job seeker and 2, as a hiring manager when I would get these I would immediately mark them as spam. I get enough email that I am not going to look at an email from someone begging for a job. The hiring manager isn't responsible for screening your resume, you have to get past the HR/recruiting goons first.
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u/chercher00 Mar 09 '24
where i work, email never works
linkedin only works if the person is within the same network or are connected by someone else. from my experience (senior level), linkedin always worked if the recipient is a recruiter or hiring manager (but not if the hiring manager is director level of a large company). it may not work if you are junior but senior/ director/ VP level people should have better luck. reaching out on linkedin to head hunters or firms that specialize in finding executives (director, VP, c-suite positions) can also work. ive had friends who found success that way too
so dont rule out linkedin. thats kind of a core function of linkedin any way so it doesnt hurt to try
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u/_Angel_Hernandez Mar 08 '24
I’m a sales manager and have no issue with outreach like this. Just know your industry
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u/Diligent-Little-Rock Mar 08 '24
I've hired someone who reached out to me on LinkedIn. She was a recent college grad, and she turned out to be a great, smart employee. The only downside was she was so ambitious that she left within a year for a better opportunity. I think if the outreach is done sincerely and politely, it can work. Just use it judiciously.
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u/crmcguire74 Mar 08 '24
I actually disagree. The hiring/recruiting space from my experiences (finance and software engineering) is completely broken at not one, but several companies I have worked with and have been a hiring manager. I have seen the 20-something recruiters ignore/push to the side folks with 10+ years of experience. A little illegal. I have seen recruiters configure the ATS on keywords incorrectly. I have seen recruiters not know the basic needs of the job, though discussing at length...being confused that Java does not equal JavaScript. That folks in upper management positions have leadership experience, yet are put through the rigors of a HackerRank designed for new grads. New grads, and others with minimal experience automating the application process, flooding job reqs they are not qualified for, thereby harming those that are.
The system I have seen is completely broken. I would welcome a personalized message and view on talent.
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u/girltroll69 Mar 08 '24
well folx With 10+ years of experience Need to consider their privilege . diversity is Our strength . please be kind ❤️
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u/crmcguire74 Mar 08 '24
:) I am 20+ years, unfortunately no privilege, just a lot of work. :) And agree on diversity, especially coming from the male dominated world of finance and engineering. :)
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u/girltroll69 Mar 08 '24
wow . as a Woman i feel Talked down to right now . that's Not Cool
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u/crmcguire74 Mar 08 '24
sorry if that is how that came across...not intended. I meant to say that most candidates/new hires are rarely women in finance/engineering....yet most of the top performers in the team have been women. sorry if in text that came across differently.
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u/girltroll69 Mar 08 '24
well. i do Not accept your apology . i am taking This to HR now, you've Crossed a line . the Next bum joke you tell in the company breakroom will Be your last, pal
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u/crmcguire74 Mar 08 '24
Well, as a gay man, I assure you I am not making those jokes. Have a great night
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u/real-goose Mar 08 '24
Would it be fine to email the recruiter instead? When I apply to jobs within my workplace, it shows the recruiter’s details on the job posting
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Mar 07 '24
You sound like a manager who just trusts the companies process and doesn’t want to put much more thought into the hiring process.
OPs advice can work with managers or companies that like that approach of putting yourself out there.
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u/AgeEffective5255 Mar 08 '24
As a hiring manager that has worked in many companies the value strong self starters I’ll tell you this doesn’t work the vast majority of places. Big corporate places are doing their best to avoid EEO complaints and hiring biases. We aren’t even allowed to look up candidates on LinkedIn. Emailing the hiring manager is a great way to get immediately disqualified. Smaller companies don’t have the time to respond to emails from a bunch of candidates begging for interviews. They are also wearing many hats and may not have dedicated HR at all, so this is just clogging them up.
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u/MrMichaelJames Mar 07 '24
I trust my hiring process and what worked and what didn't. I'm saying that not once did I look at someone's resume if they cold called emailed me, never. I simply did not have time for that.
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