Reasons you never heard back from the recruiter

 

CHICAGO, IL -- You've spotted a brilliant-looking job online. Great location, great salary, interesting role. All aflutter, you upload your resume, hit send, and sit back, dreaming of getting a call to interview. A week goes by. Two weeks. A month. You never hear back. Unfortunately, this is all too common for job seekers. Here are some reasons why you never heard back.

Ugly Resume: Your resume is a marketing document to sell yourself. A clear, concise and well formatted resume helps. If you struggle writing it, it's worth paying a professional resume writer.

Skills to pay the bills: You know you can do the job with two hands tied behind your back. I don't, unless you tell me. Make no assumptions. Make sure to mention what technologies you use too.

Attention to detail: Almost every candidate puts 'attention to detail' in their Resume. Yet those same resumes contain spelling and grammar mistakes. Mistakes on resumes are often listed as the number 1 reason hiring managers reject an application.

(Ir)relevant: Job seeker who desire a new role, must demonstrate transferable experience. Is your experience relevant to the job you want? Most hiring managers will give up after 30 seconds if they see nothing relevant.

That's not what my sources tell me: People have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn accounts. You will be researched. Any discrepancies between your online presence and resume will ring major alarm bells. 

  

 

 

Networking events, meetings, or seminars you are attending. ("Having a great time at my weekly job club!")

People you are meeting in your search. ("Got some great tips from my job search coach today!")

Links to helpful articles, websites, or videos that your network will benefit from. ("These are some insightful points about the rebound of the market.")

Links to blog posts or articles you write to showcase your skills and knowledge. ("I'd love to know your thoughts on this newest technology...")

Continuing education classes or certifications you've signed up for and working on. ("In the final stretch to completing my Academy Certified Resume Writer.")

Companies that you are interested in. Interviews you are preparing for or have completed. ("I'm very interested in opportunities at Dell. Does anyone have experience interviewing with them? Please send me a message!")

Questions you have that your network can help you with. ("What's your best answer to 'Tell me your greatest weakness?'")

Summertime shines unique opportunity on job seekers


SACRAMENTO, CA -- The hiring process in the summer can sometimes take longer since key decision-makers may be out of the office. Here are some tips to help today's job seekers set themselves up for success:

Get Resume-ready - A recent study conducted by TheLadders reports that recruiters spend just six seconds reviewing a resume before making an initial decision. With a professionally written resume, candidates are 40% more likely to land the job they want.

Perfect Your Personal Brand - A strong online presence speaks volumes to potential employers. Increase the security settings on all personal profiles to keep information and photos private, and update professional profiles to align with one's current resume.

Party with a Purpose - Summertime is a social time. Take advantage of barbecues, baseball games and beach parties to expand professional networks. Carry business cards at all times and practice an elevator pitch with fellow guests.

Quench Their Thirst - Workloads tend to be lighter during the summer, making it a perfect time to invite industry associates for iced coffee. Use the time to pick their brains and get a pulse on their companies and the industry overall.

Set Summer Hours - Although children are on summer vacation, there is no break from the job search. Setting summer hours means allocating time for opportunistic outreach and maintaining that schedule.

How to beat the interview jitters


FOXBOROUGH, MA -- Most of us have been there, nervously anticipating an upcoming job interview and when we're nervous, our body language tends to give us away. Signs take many forms. We may stammer, clench our fists, clear our throats or tap our fingers. Certainly, during a job interview, we want to hide this telltale behavior. So what can we do to calm the jitters?

Relax. Be yourself. They already know you have the skills to perform the job. They got that from your resume. Now they want to see your personality. Employers look for the best fit within the company or team. In addition, job applicants may want to support calmness with a relaxation exercise. Methods of relaxation vary from deep breathing, to listening to music or having a good laugh.

Know your work ethics and write them down ahead of time. When the interviewer says, 'Tell me a little about yourself,' you can respond with descriptors of your work ethics. Your work ethics are your soft skills; the attributes you bring to the job in addition to technical skills. During the interview, use every moment to sell yourself. Be prepared. A few practice runs will boost your self confidence. Practice can help you become more comfortable when talking about yourself, and may point out any subconscious habits, like frequent use of "um," or "you know," when speaking.