Here are my 5 best tips for applying to jobs. Job applications can be intimidating, but they do not have to be. I hope this post allows you to level-up your resume and cover letter and boost your chances of getting that interview.
1. Customize Your Resume to the Job Description
There are programs within job-recruiting websites that process your resume before a recruiter ever even reads it. This program flags certain resumes based on SEO words (Search Engine Optimization).
For example, if a company is looking for a candidate who is great at teamwork and multitasking, the program will flag resumes that have the words “teamwork” and “multitasking” in them. This program helps the recruiter see the resumes that fit the job description.
In order to make your resume have the key SEO words the company is looking for, it is important that you put words from the job description into your resume. Find key-words in the job description and put them in your resume.
Example:
Let’s say this is job description of the job you are applying for:
Job Description:
This Technical Writing job required 3+ years of technical writing experience and strong written and verbal communications. Experience working with content in multiple mediums is preferred, as well as SaaS experience.
I would purposefully add technical writing experience, communication skills, SaaS experience, and multiple-medium content experience to my resume.
2. Write a Cover Letter
Nine times out of ten times, no one will read your cover letter. But just write one anyway. Customize your cover letter to the job description if you can. It is better to have a cover letter that they don’t read than to not have a cover letter!
The basics of writing a cover letter:
Your cover letter should be addressed to the hiring company. Avoid writing it to “whom it may concern” if you can. Look up the hiring director of the company and address the letter accordingly.
The first paragraph of your cover letter should be your background, education, and important/impressive information about yourself.
The second paragraph should consist of how you appreciate the company you are applying for and how you would be an asset to this company. Draw on personal experience and work experience to explain how you are a perfect fit for the job.
The last paragraph should end the cover letter on a positive note. Explain how excited you are about the opportunity and one more time why you are the best fit for the position.
End the note with:
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.
Respectfully,
Your Name
3. Apply Directly Through the Company’s Website (If You Can)
Hiring companies like Indeed and ZipRecruiter notoriously keep job applications up after they have already been filled. Don’t waste your time and energy applying to jobs that are not even still available!!!
I recommend applying to jobs straight through the company’s website or through LinkedIn.
4. Keep Track of the Jobs You Have Applied To
There is nothing worse to a recruiter than calling a candidate and the candidate not even knowing which position they’ve applied for or remember applying in the first place. Make a list of the jobs you apply to and that company’s information just in case they call you. I like to create a document on Google Drive and list all of the jobs I have applied to and when I applied to them. I also keep my cover letter template and resume here.
5. DO NOT Post Your Resume All Over the Internet If You Already Have a Job
Your current employer will not appreciate seeing that you have posted your resume to job-hiring sites, and it could get you fired. HR in your company can also easily see resume postings, so they could rat you out to your boss. Send your resume directly to a company in your job application to avoid this awkward and potentially fireable situation.
These were some of my tips for applying to jobs, and I hope you find them helpful! Let me know your job search goes!
Good Luck!
XO,
Layton