About a year and a half ago I wrote a post entitled, "Do or Die: The 1 Hour Conference Preparation". The reason I wrote that piece was because I wanted job applicants to be better prepared at conferences. The reason for today's post is to help job applicants through the application process by revealing some of the things I look for when hiring.
I think my biggest pet peeve with sifting through job applications is how quickly I get a sense for how little time people put into their job applications. And those that appeared to put in some effort often times come off as either disorganized or simply going through the motions. I realize that everyone comes from a different background and have varying degrees of experience, but no matter where you are in your life, there are some things that you can take advantage of that will make you look all that much better in front of hiring managers. I'll admit, there was a time in my life that I was filling out as many applications as I possibly could. But if I told you that spending an extra 10-20 minutes on each application could improve your chances of getting hired dramatically, would you do it? Here are a few things that even the most novice of job applicants can do in less than a half-hour:
Cover Letter
1) Mention the organization you're applying to
So many of the cover letters I receive don't use the name of the organization they're applying to and instead say something along the lines of "I'd be a great fit for your organization" - this is not to say you have to use the name of the organization that you're applying to, but try to at least use it once or twice to illustrate the fact that you know where you're applying.
2) Mention the position you're applying to
Similar to the point above, show the perspective employer that you understand you know what position you are applying to rather than refer to it as "the position".
3) Use relative keywords that are mentioned in the job description
If you're applying to a position that has an emphasis on social media, it may behoove you to make sure you mention social media somewhere in the cover letter. Often times I'm able to eliminate applications based solely on the fact that the cover letter doesn't mention any one of numerous keywords that I'm looking for.
4) Relevant experience and attributes
After establishing that you have read through the job description by following the above points, it's time for you to talk about your qualifications. Before listing everything you've ever done, consider the job description and what relevant experience you have and illustrate each of those in an organized and concise manner.
5) Keep the cover letter to less than a page in length
I know that it sometimes feels as though you need to explain your entire life story between your cover letter and resume, but let me assure you this is not the case. Instead view the cover letter as a sniff test for employers to know that you understand the position you are applying for and that you are qualified to do it. Cover letters that are too long are much less likely to be reviewed than a concise cover letter that establishes you've done some research on the position and list a couple of reasons as to why you're a good fit.
Resume
1) Edit, edit, edit
Simple but important - make sure that your resume (and everything else for that matter) is well edited. I have received many resumes and cover letters that still have edits included in them. Edits literally such as "add a bullet point here about relevant experience". If I really stop to think about it, I know that most resumes and cover letters have gone through multiple rounds of edits by other people, but please go out of your way to not make that obvious.
2) Keep the resume to less than a page in length and well organized
In the theme of being concise, your resume should be no more than a page. Similar to the cover letter, your resume should be concise and well organized. Keep it less than a page.
3) Use relative keywords that are mentioned in the job description
Again, similar to the cover letter, make sure your resume includes the keywords that are called upon in the job description. There is no faster way to eliminate a job application than by searching for keywords that are not included somewhere within a resume.
4) Be Honest
Please don't lie on your resume - it's the worst mistake you can make for everyone involved, especially yourself. I know it may be tempting to say that you know Microsoft Excel, but I find it really annoying when an applicant says that they know Excel and it turns out that in reality the applicant only used excel in the most basic of capacities. The same goes for listing Microsoft Office as a skill. If you list Microsoft Office as a skill, then I'm assuming you know the ins and outs of Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Access. The very last thing you want to do is claim that you know something when you don't.
Reaching Out and Additional Pieces of Advice
1) Informational interviews
Please refer to my blog that touches on the idea of building relationships. In all honesty I believe that informational interviews are the key to everything. I believe they are a key to everything because they involve something incredibly important - building relationships. Please read my post about developing meaningful relationships Standing on the other side...
2) LinkedIn
I know it seems obvious, but keep your LinkedIn up-to-date. In a day and age in which social media is king, LinkedIn is a great way to showcase who you are to potential employers.
3) Build your brand
Building your brand probably deserves it's own blog post, but just remember this. Everything you do, whether it be your day-to-day interactions or anything that you put online is representative of who you are and what your brand is. It seems as though that anything you ever put online is more or less there forever, even if you "deleted" it. I'm not saying you should pretend to be someone you aren't, but give the content you put online a second thought before posting it. Let's hope that all of my facebook posts of sad music I was listening to after breakups never see the light of day...
4) Other Touch-Points
In-person meetings, informational phone calls, etc, etc. The more touch-points you can acquire with people the better. Each touch-point is an opportunity for you, and no matter how small it may seem, approach each with your best foot forward, yadayadayada.
Good-luck!
-Alex