Are Applicant Tracking Systems Rigged Against Jobseekers?

It’s a fact – if your resume does not make it through an employer’s Applicant Tracking System, it’s like you never even applied for the job. Is your resume making it through the Applicant Tracking System?

Too often, Applicant Tracking Systems make life difficult for jobseekers. But once you know how they work, you can use them to your advantage and they will no longer be a barrier to your job search. Not sure what this is all about? They can be confusing and continually evolve, which is why I research, take frequent training and test out the systems myself.

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A 3-Step Year End Review Will Rejuvenate Your Job Search

[Back by popular demand and updated for 2018.]

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. If your job search is not winning job offers, then it is time to change your approach.

job search success

Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash

A year-end job search review helps jobseekers to reflect upon their strategies, evaluate their progress and determine which actions they should continue and which they should change.

Step #1: Clarify Your Goal

Do you have a crystal clear picture of what you offer an organization and a defined list of target companies? If you cannot articulate your career goal, how can you possibly achieve it? The crucial first step is to determine who you would like to work for and how you can help them achieve their organizational objectives. What do you offer that other candidates do not? Continue reading →

Are Employers Being Unreasonable?

What? They want you to be on time, prepared and respectful? That seems like an awful lot to expect in a professional business meeting – which a job interview surely is. Interviewers have clear expectations of job applicants that impact their decision on whom to hire. By the time you’ve landed the interview, the employer is pretty sure you have the skills to do the job. Now, they want to find out if you are the type of person they’d like to have on their team.

To provide the best possible help to my career coaching clients, I speak regularly with recruiters and hiring managers to stay on top of what they are looking for in a candidate and what they like to see on a resume. We also discuss what bothers them and a few common themes stand out. I’m sharing them here to help you avoid these interview mistakes that can cost you that great job.

no phone in your interview

What Really Annoys Interviewers?

Here are the biggest pet peeves that I hear from hiring managers:

  • Poor manners
  • Lack of preparation
  • Not following up

Let’s take a look at each of these.
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I’ve Applied to Hundreds of Jobs Online, but Never Hear Back

The most common frustrations I hear from jobseekers are related to applying for jobs online. The application process itself is time-consuming, can be confusing and most of the time you don’t hear back after you’ve submitted your application materials. First of all, if you have applied to hundreds of jobs – STOP! Either you are applying for the wrong type of jobs or your resume is not selling you as well as it could. It might not even be making it through the Applicant Tracking Systems. Read on to see how you can turn things around.

Why Is My Online Job Search Failing?

online job application advice

Here’s the problem with applying to jobs online: your application is only one of hundreds, if not thousands, submitted for each opening. With employers’ increased reliance on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen for the most qualified candidates, your application may not even be reviewed by a person if it does not include the right keywords or proper formatting. For more information about getting through these online filters, see my previous blog “Are Applicant Tracking Systems Rigged Against Jobseekers?”.

Making it through the ATS is step #1. Continue reading →

Step into the Spotlight! It’s Time to Ace Your Recorded Job Interview.

Welcome to the third installment of my blog series on virtual job interviews. In my last blog, I shared tips on mastering Skype interviews. If you missed it, you can catch up here.

Employers are continually looking to make the hiring process more efficient. To this end, they have started using recorded job interviews as a quick way to screen candidates. prep to ace a recorded interviewIn a recorded interview, also known as a one-way video interview, the company sends you pre-scripted interview questions that you answer on video and submit by a specific date. When you record your answers to the questions, you cannot see the interviewer, but they will scrutinize you when viewing and listening to your answers.

Getting Ready for Your Close-Up

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Lights… Camera… Action! 5 Minutes to Mastering the Video Interview

Welcome to the second installment of my blog series on virtual job interviews, with some quick tips to help you prepare for a video conference interview. If you missed last month’s post on telephone interviews, you can catch up here. Next month, I’ll address the recorded video interview.

In the good old days, hiring managers relied on in-person interviews to screen and hire job candidates. As if that was not intimidating enough! Today, many companies are incorporating online video conferencing interviews using Skype, Zoom or Facetime into the hiring process. Virtual interviews are popular with employers because they quickly narrow the candidate pool, which saves the company time and money. But, they can add an entirely new layer of anxiety-provoking stress for job seekers.

video job interview

Whether you are new to live video interviews or didn’t do well enough in your last one to proceed to the next round of interviews, you need to learn how to present your best self on camera. Here’s how you can prepare for, and ace, your next video interaction with a potential employer.

Cameras hate me! Do I really have to do a video interview?

Yes. If you want to land that great new job, you must be prepared for live video job interviews. If you avoid them, you may be limiting your employment options. Because more and more employers are relying on video interviews to evaluate candidates’ soft skills, it is to your advantage to become comfortable with this type of interview.  Continue reading →

Help! I Have a Phone Interview!

If your resume is winning you frequent interviews, then it is doing its job. If you are going to lots of first interviews but are not making it into the next round, then you may need to work on your interviewing skills. You are not alone. Selling yourself to a potential employer is not easy. However, as with anything, the more you know, the more successful you will be.There are several types of interviews, each with their own set of challenges: face-to-face meetings, in-box assessments and virtual interviews conducted via telephone, Skype and video. The interview is one of the most important parts of a job search, yet many people fail to prepare out of fear. To help reduce jobseeker anxiety, I have created a series of blog posts on the different types of virtual interviews. In this first installment, I share tips on how to master the telephone interview.  Continue reading →

Does Your 2018 New Year’s Resolution Include a Career Change? Planning Will Make Your Dream a Reality.

A new year brings new possibilities. As we turn over the calendar, we tend to look forward to the New Year as a chance to reset ourselves and we resolve to make improvements, both personally and professionally. If your New Year’s resolution is to be a happier person in 2018, a new job could be just the answer. Considering how much time we spend at work, enjoying your job can significantly impact your overall happiness. You deserve job satisfaction ― and it is achievable.2018 New Year Resolution New Job

So you’ve made your New Year’s resolution to change jobs or maybe even reinvent yourself in a new career, but how do you make this happen? What do you do first? Where do you begin? How do you get from hopes and wishes to reality? It’s common to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of a job search. I have learned that the key to a successful job transition is in the planning.
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Preparing For Your Year-End Review

‘Tis the season to celebrate with friends and family. ‘Tis also the season for year-end performance reviews, which is the perfect time for you to position yourself for success.

Performance reviews can be stressful, especially coming as they do during the holiday season. You naturally hope that your manager notices all of your hard work and recognizes the value you offer your organization. But does management really know how valuable you are? Year End Career ReviewAs part of the review process, many companies ask their employees to provide a self-assessment to their manager. This is your best opportunity to remind your manager of your contributions and highlight the impact of your efforts. It is also a great first step to developing a strong resume.

Not sure how to show your value to an organization? You are not alone. To make it easier for my clients, I recommend that they start with the following questions:  Continue reading →

How to Turn Your Resume Into an Interview Magnet

Whether you are transitioning to a new career or looking to achieve your next professional milestone, a successful job search is all about selling yourself to prospective employers. Never thought you’d be in sales? When competing for a job, you are marketing yourself as both the product and the salesperson, and your most effective tool is your resume. Sell yourself with a strong resume

In my experience as a Career Coach, I’ve found that many people don’t know how to sell themselves when looking for a job. Writing about yourself is difficult, no doubt about it. That is why so many people hire professional resume help.

Here are a few key points to make it easier:

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Three Steps to a Successful Mid-Career Transition

Let’s talk about your career. I don’t mean your current job that’s so unrewarding that it feels like a prison sentence, or the one that you’ve been told is being eliminated in a few months. No, I mean the career you dream about, the one that you really want, that you know you were meant to have. Let’s talk about THAT career.Mid-Career Transition is Possible

Changing careers can be a daunting prospect, especially if you’ve already devoted a long time to your present career path. I know how it feels – I left a high burn-out job and successfully reinvented myself several years ago. I had heard (and told myself) all of the reasons why career change is impossible and bound to fail. “Competition for good jobs is fierce,” and “I’m too old to change careers now.”

Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be so scary.  Continue reading →

Are You Sabotaging Your Job Search by Not Including a Cover Letter?

No one really likes writing cover letters – not even me, and I write clients’ career marketing documents every day. Personally, I find creating resumes, executive bios and LinkedIn profiles much more fun. But – cover letters are an important part of your job search that you cannot overlook. A cover letter will help you win a job interview

Typically, your cover letter is the first writing sample reviewed by a potential employer, so make sure yours will help, not hurt, your chances of winning an interview.  Continue reading →

Interview Prep 101: Conquer the Fear!

Would you rather walk into a job interview with confidence or fear? Interviews can unnerve even the most experienced job seeker, and in today’s competitive job market proper preparation can be the difference between a job offer and a rejection.

You wouldn’t ever walk onto a stage for a big presentation without preparing your words and practicing your delivery, would you? how to ace a job interview  A job interview requires the same sort of preparation, but the process does not need to be overwhelming.  You can increase your odds for success by Continue reading →

How to Quickly Land a Job in a Tough Economy

I speak with job seekers every day who are frustrated and overwhelmed by today’s job search. I’ll share with you the strategy I have used successfully with hundreds of my clients who are now working at jobs they love.

While it is true that the job market has never been more competitive, when you break it down there are really only 2 steps to landing a great new job.

A Career Coach can help make your dreams come true

You need to:

  1. Get in front of your target audience
  2. Make yourself memorable

A networking strategy that combines face-to-face and online networking has been key to landing a job in recent years and is even more effective today. An increasing number of employers are abandoning the big paid-to-post job boards because they do not want to sort through the flood of resumes from hundreds, if not thousands, of anxious jobseekers, many of whom are not qualified.

So, if you don’t search online for job postings, what do you do? It’s easy: you create your own job opportunities by building a list of target companies and impressing the decision makers. It is not as difficult as it sounds. I can teach you how. Continue reading →

8 Reasons Why You Got Fired from Your Job and How to Fix Them

Guest post by Michael Klazema of Backgroundchecks.com.

You were recently let go by your employer and are currently in the process of searching for a new job. If you were fired, your boss likely informed you of the reasons why. However, the bigger question now is what you can do to avoid those fire-able offenses or behaviors in the future.

However, the bigger question now is what you can do to avoid those fire-able offenses or behaviors in the future.Splitshire job searching by firelight

The bad news is that future employees are going to look at your job experience, check your references, and ask you why you left or were let go from your previous job. A termination doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in prospective employers. The good news is that you can turn over a new leaf and use your dismissal to become a better employee.

Here are eight of the most common reasons for dismissal along with what you can do to avoid similar pitfalls in the future. Continue reading →

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

The Importance of Career Assessments

Guest post by Lynne Bossart independent college advisor and owner of Muse College Consulting LLC

As a child, you probably had any number of answers to the question, “What do you want to be when you Muse College Consulting.grow up?” But, as a teenager and a college-bound student, the answer is not always so clear.  You may think you have to decide on your major before you even look at colleges. But did you know that according to the National Center for Education, about 80% of college students change their major at least once during their
college career?  And, “undecided” is one of the most popular majors for incoming college freshmen. In fact, there are jobs and careers that haven’t yet been invented but will be by the time you graduate college.  So, the real question is, “What do you need to know before you embark on your post-secondary path?”  Continue reading →