Long gone are the times of submitting your resume in person, assuring yourself that somebody has it in hand. Now, we’ll be lucky to get a confirmation email saying, “We received your resume.”
The job market lately feels more bleak than ever, with the shortage of contact and connection. People click submit on resumes and canopy letters only to feel like they’ve been sent to the abyss without end.
Refreshing your email again and again stings, and the plain rejection feels humiliating. Fortunately, it’s possible to get past this ghosting stage within the job search process. The next strategies are here to show you how to overcome missed opportunities and prepare for the subsequent one coming your way!
Common Reasons Your Resume is Getting Ghosted
There are a number of reasons you may never hear back after submitting a resume for a job emptiness. Listed below are probably the most common.
1. Competitive Job Market and High Volume of Applications
The job market will be highly competitive, especially the chief job market. With quite a few qualified candidates, employers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of resumes to review. Lack of time and bandwidth internally ends in low response rates.
To be noticed amongst the big pile of applicants, you must have a resume that stands out, captures their attention, and showcases your unique value proposition.
You aren’t attempting to say you’re the most effective project manager; you are attempting to say you might be the most effective project manager for his or her company.
2. Lack of Tailoring and Customization
A standard mistake people within the job market make is failing to personalize their resume to the particular job and company. As mentioned, you must convey why your skills are best fitted to the necessities needed for the role.
Tailoring your resume for every application using relevant keywords and specifications from the job description is essential to increasing your possibilities of getting noticed by the hiring team.
All the time research the corporate before applying! Reviewing its website and up to date news can provide additional insight that could possibly be helpful within the hiring process.
3. Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Challenges
Applicant Tracking Systems play a crucial role within the initial screening process. These automated systems scan resumes for keywords and qualifications required for the position. These tools are purported to help narrow down probably the most qualified candidates for corporations receiving numerous candidates.
Unfortunately, great candidates are sometimes missed because their resume isn’t tailored to the job description.
Strategically incorporating keywords into your cover letter, resume, and even LinkedIn profile optimizes your possibilities for ATS compatibility. Leave the “JavaScript Rockstar” and “Coding Ninja” titles in your Facebook profile! ATS won’t understand it.
4. Weak or Inconsistent Branding
A vital difference in getting an interview in a competitive job market is your personal brand. When an employer picks your resume out of the tall pile, they are going to research it before reaching out to you.
In case your LinkedIn profile hasn’t been updated in 2 years and doesn’t match your current resume, it’s a red flag!
It’s vital to have a consistent message across your cover letter, resume, portfolio, LinkedIn profile, and other related skilled pages. Like dating apps, nobody likes a one who looks entirely different in person from their profile pictures!
Strategies To Increase Your Probabilities
Getting ghosted during your job search can feel disheartening, especially once you’re putting in significant effort. Landing the job that’s best for you goes to be unique to you. Attempt to avoid comparing yourself to others in your industry or ending in a certain timeline.
Use these strategies to show you how to improve your callback possibilities.
1. Networking and Connections
With the recognition of LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media sites, staying connected with old friends and colleagues is less complicated than ever before.
Using the network you have already got could be a powerful tool find your next job. A straightforward DM (direct message) is a simple method to learn more about corporations, positions, and possibly industries you’re unfamiliar with from people you already know.
In case you don’t know anyone with relevant experience, LinkedIn is an awesome tool for connecting with recent people in your industry. Don’t be afraid to attach with recent people and introduce yourself when you are considering their profession path or company experience—that’s what LinkedIn is for. As you grow your network in your industry, connections can refer you to corporations or provide crucial introductions that could lead on to interviews.
The important thing to networking will not be expecting them to seek out a job for you but to give you a bit to show you how to along the best way. You never know what one conversation could lead on to in your profession!
2. Following Up Appropriately
Following up after submitting your job application can exhibit your enthusiasm for the position. Crafting the appropriate message is essential to standing out and getting a response. As mentioned before, researching the corporate you’re considering before you apply can show you how to later when it’s time to follow up.
Reviewing the web site may lead you to see a hiring email not listed on LinkedIn that you possibly can use to succeed in out. In case you apply directly on their website, check their LinkedIn page to see in the event that they are posting these roles and if you will have any connections to the corporate. Follow up with a polite and skilled message that expresses your continued interest within the position without appearing rushed or pushy.
3. Staying Organized and Positive
An important aspect in successfully leaving the job search process and landing that dream job is keeping yourself organized and staying positive despite the rollercoaster of emotions it will possibly bring.
Having a document to maintain track of the businesses you might be applying to and interviewing with is crucial. The rollercoaster of rejections, callbacks, and confusing responses can leave you feeling exhausted and defeated. This can lead to becoming unfocused and losing sight of the job search process.
Taking time for yourself and practicing self-care during this time results in long-term success. Self-care is a private investment in your future self!
Get Your Resume Seen
Getting job applications ghosted happens to the most effective of us, however it’s possible to enhance your possibilities of getting responses and begin landing interviews.
Empower yourself to get organized and create your individual process with our effective strategies. Craft a tailored resume, be certain that you include keywords so it’s compatible with ATS, update your LinkedIn, don’t be afraid to DM some old and recent friends, at all times research the corporate, and handle yourself first!
By implementing these strategies, together with others, I’ve witnessed considerable success in overcoming missed opportunities and eventually landing dream roles with confidence.
Erin Kennedy
Erin Kennedy, MCD, NCOPE, CMRW, CERW, CEMC, CRW, CPRW, is a Certified Master & Executive Resume Author and the President of Skilled Resume Services, Inc. (PRS), home to a few of the most effective resume writers on the planet. PRS was voted “Forbes Top 100 Profession Web sites” and “Top Followed on LinkedIn” two years in a row from Jobscan. She can also be a LinkedIn “Top Voice” and publishes posts on the platform usually. She has been quoted in Forbes.com, the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, Mashable, and more.
