Did you know that only 10% of job seekers actually a get a job from answering ads on the Internet? How do you avoid falling into a black hole and make sure your resume floats to the top of the pile? Here are some tips you need to follow to make it work for you.

1) Make sure you have at least 80-95% of the skills they are looking for.  If not, don’t waste your time.  Carefully compare your resume with the job description to find key words, qualifications, and skills that match up to you.

2) Make sure you use the same key words in your cover letter. Your cover letter needs to mirror the key words and skills listed in the job description. Compare the two to make sure you are using the words that are important to the employer.

3) Use the key words in your resume that are used in the job description. The most important words should appear more than once in your resume…in the summary section listed under skills or competencies, in your bulleted accomplishments at the top of your resume, and in the actual accomplishments under each job.

4) Apply online and also write to the Hiring Manager. Usually an online job ad goes straight to HR so if you are not looking for a job in HR you need to write directly to a Hiring Manager in the department that fits your skills set – IT, Marketing, Research and Development, etc.  Do your research to find out the name of the person in a position to hire you.

5) Don’t put in the salary – even if it is requested. You can usually game the system by putting in $100 or $1000. Save salary and total compensation negotiation for AFTER you get the offer.

Remember: Don’t answer a million ads. Focus on no more than ten a week with your resume that uses the key words from the job description. Then follow up with the hiring manager to get the meeting.

(c) Amy Geffen 2018 All rights reserved