Questions For Self Reflection by Diane Wilkinson, Career Coach, Job Search Strategist, Corporate Talent Development, Inspiration Enthusiast
Ever wonder why you do not have more interest from submitted job applications? Points to consider if it appears a bit too quiet on the job front.
1. Am I qualified for the roles I am applying for?
Do I meet each qualification listed in the job description? Do I possess the “nice-to-haves” as well as the “must-haves”?
Competition is fierce. Know your competition and how you compare on points such as education, foreign language proficiencies, international experience, leadership, startup vs. enterprise experience, specific technical platform proficiency, etc.
2. Does my resume serve me? How much interest does your resume generate?
An effective resume will stand out and obtain high levels of interest. It should be up to date, one page in total, and leave the reader with no doubts.
Consider hiring a professional resume writer with experience in your industry. For more information, see "Is Paying a Professional Resume Writer Worth It?"
3. Do I have a strong online presence?
Personal branding goes a long way and together with strong industry relationships will keep you in high demand throughout your career. Speaking engagements, blogs, group participation and a reputation of being an expert in the latest trends are ingredients of a strong industry presence, which sells itself. Be sure your LinkedIn profile is on-point, blog entries are current, active and relevant, and online discussions display your knowledge.
4. Do I have people willing to recommend me?
Online recommendations are a quick and easy way to demonstrate your value and reputation.
It is not assumed that you have recommendations – put your best foot forward and garner more interest from the start of the application process.
Be sure use recommendations properly:
Do not swap recommendations (the “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours," method is transparent and can backfire)
Do ask for recommendations from relevant employers, clients, and those managed
Do not ask for recommendations in clusters during times of unemployment only
Do attempt to obtain recommendations equally over time
Do not give too many more than you receive (this may be seen as "fishing")
Do not display unflattering or mediocre recommendations
Convert written recommendations to your online profile
5. Am I using the right keywords?
Keywords are extremely valuable to job applications and can be pulled directly from the job posting.
If there are not sufficient keywords in the submitted application, there will be no opportunity to interview or further screening options.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS’s) are used as an initial screening tool before human eyes ever get to your resume. ATS’s utilize keywords to determine the relevancy of your application, assigning each applicant with a matching score. Applicants in the top percentile scored, typically receive an automated invitation to schedule an initial call with a general company representative for first line screening. This is usually with a company recruiter/HR team member – a generalist not residing on the team in which the position reports. A select number of applicants passing the initial general screening will be invited to interview directly with the relevant hiring team, typically via phone screening.
6. Am I using referrals as often as possible?
Public job posting applications are among the most challenging to get an interview.
Your resume has 6 SECONDS to garner interest before it is eliminated – only after an automated system has placed you in the top percentile.
Referrals can be a more successful way to receive consideration when sending your resume for an open position but be careful who you ask to submit your resume, as your reputation will become aligned with those that pass on your information, so be sure that the person referring you is one that will reflect your skill and abilities in a positive light.
"Problem employees" or those connected to an organization through weak or low valued relationships, may reflect poorly on you when used to refer you. The same goes for recruiters – a well-respected recruiter can pull strings to get your resume more attention, but a recruiter with a poor reputation can bring even less interest than going it alone.
7. Am I being the type of applicant they want?
This can be a challenge to gauge – put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes and ask yourself what you would be looking for most in a new hire. If you are not familiar enough with the position to know first-hand, seek out the answers through informational interviews, recruiters, professional coaches, mentors, etc., and ask for feedback as much as possible from recruiters, previous interviewers, previous managers, and the like.
Are you marketing yourself as a “passive candidate” or “active candidate”?
Passive candidates are currently employed, not actively in the job market nor currently interviewing for new opportunities. Passive candidates are typically represented by recruiters who proactively sought them out for a particular role, through a team member’s outreach and referral, or direct hiring manager outreach.
Active candidates are either unemployed, underemployed, or employed but not content with their current job. Active candidates are currently in the job market and typically actively engaging in interviews with multiple companies, applying to public job postings, working with recruiters, and may or may not list their available status on their online professional profile.
Many hiring managers believe the highest caliber employees are ones that are sought-after by previous managers, recruited by industry colleagues, and otherwise offered opportunities due to their expert-standing in the industry, and therefore forego the need to actively market themselves for new opportunities. Keep this in mind when deciding how to present yourself for consideration and whether to use tools such as LinkedIn’s option to mark yourself as seeking opportunities or otherwise publicly declaring yourself "open to new opportunities."
Also, worth consideration is the risk of exposure that LinkedIn’s availability tool presents. Although visibility is limited to recruiters / corporate hiring managers and attempts are made to conceal the information from current employers, industries often prove small and there is a good chance that your boss and/or those you are working with will be made aware of these efforts. If your job search is public knowledge, you still may want to consider marketing yourself as a less active candidate depending on your preferred approach.
Your job search should be a combination of attaining inbound interest through outbound personal marketing, leaning on your network for employee referrals to personal connections and informational interviews, working with industry specific recruiters with only the best reputations, researching and outreach to create new opportunities, networking, online applications, and other relevant job search activities.
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