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Career Advice for Job Seekers

Why is Getting a Job Interview so Tough?

William Frierson AvatarWilliam Frierson
March 28, 2014


Kirk Deis

Kirk Deis

It’s hard not to take being overlooked for a job your qualified for personal.  At some stage during the job hunt you sense the phone not ringing.  Somewhere as you’re clicking through internet career posts you begin to doubt your cover letter, your resume, yourself.  Everything can spiral out of control and on the surface it feels like there’s no reason why.  Getting a job interview shouldn’t be this tough.

3 Reasons Why HR Hasn’t Called…YET

1.  You haven’t optimized your resume.

The new gatekeeper in town blocking 72% of all resumes submitted to HR is a thing called ATS.  It stands for Applicant Tracking System.  I prefer the title given by Mike Glezos from SEO Your Resume: EVIL HR Software.

ATS places a value on your resume determined by your use of keywords HR is looking for.  Look into a resume keyword optimize service such as SEO Your Resume.

Within an hour you’ll cover the perfect Word .DOC resume template, SEO checklists, learn about Black Hat SEO, SEO for LinkedIn and more.  The main objective is to ensure your resume will never be blocked by ATS again by teaching you how to build a Super-SEO Resume from start to finish.

2.  You Copied and Pasted a Cover Letter

That intro message for a prospective job is a lot like online dating.  They receive hundreds of messages a day from job seekers.  What is it about your cover letter that separates it from the pack?

Consider doing the following:

  • Add links showcasing your website/online portfolio and achievements.  Let your work speak for itself.
  • Take advantage of the Subject Line.  Think about it, if you’re working in HR and are getting a hundred messages a day all with the same subject line it’s a bit numbing.  Add some professional personality to your subject line.  Try “Rock star” before the job title.
  • SEO your cover letter.  Make sure it contains the same buzz words the job description has.

3.  Your LinkedIn Profile is WEAK

First off, if you’re not on LinkedIn you’re not doing everything possible to get a job.  LinkedIn is the new Monster.  Set aside half an hour and build a profile here.

We live in an age where everything we do is online.  Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume.  Make sure it sells you.  Double check spelling.  Take the time to join groups you’re interested in and contribute to them.  Network.  Build an online social media presence.

People in HR are just like us.  They will Google you.  What’s going to come up when they do?

What’s Next? 

It’s easy to feel alone and discouraged while job hunting.  What you want to do is channel that energy into something positive.  In this case, using down time in a productive way to increase your chances to land an interview by keyword optimizing your resume, writing a personal cover letter, and making sure your social media presence shines.

Links in Article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applicant_tracking_system

http://www.seoyourresume.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/

By Kirk Deis

Kirk Deis Bio:

Kirk came into this world telling stories and knocking out pages with words.  He’s a D.I.Y. King, Bazinga Jedi, and like many of us a Netflix addict. His journey led him to blog and social media writing for various online publications, IMDB credits, and a lead creative writer position at the business naming agency Biz Name Wiz. Feel free to drop him a line at his portfolio site www.KirksBedroom.com he loves hearing from people.

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