8

Applying to Positions

Lynne M. Williams

This chapter offers an overview of the many ways to apply for jobs—some traditional and typical and others more creative—as well as an in-depth examination of the applicant tracking system (ATS) and sections on best practices, tips, and tricks.

The Hidden Job Market

Remember the hidden job market you learned about in chapter 7? Why does it exist? Wouldn’t employers want to hire the best employees possible? Is it preposterous to think that jobs would be hidden from job seekers, or would terms like unadvertised, unposted, or unpublished be more appropriate to use? There are many reasons why employers might not publicize an opening—perhaps they are trying to replace someone who is not performing a job well, or they don’t want competitors or stockholders to be aware that they are gearing up for some big changes. Maybe there is a hiring freeze, a job is published in a nontraditional way (perhaps on social media), or there is a retained search done by a recruiter. These are some of many reasons why jobs may be considered part of the “hidden” market.

In addition, even if a job is published, it may not be real. Perhaps a candidate has already been identified and the company is just meeting a requirement of someone posting a job to conform to company policy, Department of Labor (DOL), or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) labor laws. There seem to be some mysteries in the world of hiring people that may just remain mysteries.

Thirty years ago, Dick Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?, told the New York Times that 80 percent of jobs are not advertised and suggested that one’s contacts are key to a job search (Sanger 1980). In the last several years, career websites such as Live Careers estimate that the hidden job market remains sizable (Hansen 2010). More recently, thanks to the Internet and social media, online sources such as job boards, search engines, and career websites have made significant inroads in company hiring, although employee referrals still produce the top number of hires (SilkRoad Technology 2015).

So, it still pays to continuously go out to meet people and network to build your own sphere of influence. Many people believe relationships are more powerful than resumes, so it is always good to be prepared with a thriving network, even if you are between transitions (that is, currently employed). If your network connections mention your name in conversations, along with a positive message about you when you are not present, you have created a successful brand and have a virtual sales force. It also doesn’t hurt to be in the right place at the right time, as opportunities may present themselves based on someone who recently decided to resign or retire or for a requisition that no one has yet had the opportunity to write.

If humans are doing the hiring in or out of the hidden job market, then logic would have it that having a creative, eye-catching resume would be the most important thing (especially if there is more competition for visible published jobs and less competition for unpublished jobs). But another way to beat out your competition before a job actually becomes available or is announced might be to send out a value proposition letter en masse without a resume. To determine which methods produce the best results for you, it may be wise to pursue all avenues at the beginning of your search. Send out some value proposition letters, mail some cover letters with your resume to target companies, apply to some jobs online, set up some informational meetings, and try networking. By tracking your results, you will be able to guage which avenues work best for you.

Don’t Forget About Snail Mail

Consider using snail mail to gain a unique edge. Yes, don’t forget about the envelope and stamp and that special high-quality resume paper you can purchase from your local office supply store. I can tell you from personal experience working in the C-suite that not many CEOs and presidents receive stamped envelopes with cover letters and resumes. Why? Good question! Many applicants assume they should be exclusively using technology to apply to jobs. However, this “old-fashioned” approach is a great way to apply to an advertised job or contact a target company that you would like to work for because it seems like no one is doing it and would make you stand out. You can share your unique value proposition or branding statement in the cover letter.

You can also use snail mail to start a direct mail campaign to send your value proposition letter to your target companies. You want the letter to be read, especially since you are taking the time and expense, so make sure to personalize each letter to a decision maker and use high-quality stationery. Information on senior leaders is often available on company websites, so start small and research your target companies. While it is usually preferable to be introduced to someone through a warm lead, this job search technique can increase your odds of getting a phone call especially if your skills are very specialized. It should be noted that while general industry standards for direct mail are low—only a 1 to 2 percent response rate—most direct mail does not include personalized value proposition letters. For more information on using a direct mail approach, refer to the website of the late career coach Mark Hovind (www.JobBait.com).

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

Employers or recruiters looking for people with certain skills may consult their network for referrals; however, they may also use LinkedIn’s advanced search techniques to find people. Applying to jobs where someone has recruited you may be a relatively easy way to find your next position. Just know that even though you may wear many hats and have many interests, you should only have one LinkedIn profile.

Your LinkedIn profile must be strategically filled with keywords, especially your headline, summary, job titles, publications and projects, and skills and endorsements. Chapter 6 provided guidelines for optimizing your LinkedIn profile and managing your online brand. Keywords are discussed in greater detail later in this chapter.

If you click on the Jobs tab on your LinkedIn profile, you will find choices to set up job preferences, search for jobs, save jobs, and apply to jobs. Once you start searching for jobs, LinkedIn will autosuggest jobs you may be interested in. You can even set it up so LinkedIn sends you job alerts.

Sign Up for Google Alerts

Create Google Alerts for companies you are interested in. This way, you will be notified if your target company is in the news with any expansion activities, new leases, new deals, and so forth. If you see some activity that might create a job opening for you, this could be the perfect time to make yourself known. Take the initiative to start setting up informational interviews and sending your resumes to any contacts you have in the company.

Blog Your Way to a Job

Sometimes you can garner attention by blogging about a particular industry, profession, or company. Your knowledge base, combined with your enthusiasm to create engagement with others, may be a viable way to your next career step. Increase the likelihood that others in your industry will read your blog posts by linking them to your LinkedIn page or other social media outlets you have. The more people who see what expertise you have, the more opportunities you will have for a job in the hidden market to open up for you.

Could YouTube Be a Digital Interview?

YouTube videos can act as a digital interview for you, and may be a creative way to job hunt in some industries and for some positions. It’s a way to promote yourself and build SEO (search engine optimization) or name recognition in a particular field and possibly catch someone’s attention for your next opportunity. A video that is done right can help make a personal connection and lasting impression. And don’t forget, posting YouTube videos makes it more likely that your name will be a top hit on a Google search, which further helps to promote you and your brand.

What About Social Media and Websites?

Social media can absolutely be used to your advantage if you set up professional profiles on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and About.me. It’s an opportunity to brand and promote yourself and your areas of expertise. Personal websites are also a great way to create an online presence. Your site could include an online portfolio, as well as your resume, bio, picture, videos, writing samples, links to other social media platforms, and more.

Attend Conventions and Trade Shows

When you are able to make face-to-face connections with people at a conference or trade show for your industry, you may discover unposted jobs or new company endeavors. If the cost is prohibitive to attend, you may be able to volunteer, which often means free or discounted admission to the show after your shift is complete.

Instead of a Job Search, Do a Company Search

Instead of looking for a job, shift your mindset to companies of interest. Build your target company list based on culture, growth, company size, proximity, industry, or whatever parameters are important to you (this is something you started doing in chapter 4). You can use databases such as Reference USA, which is available through a subscribing library, or you could use ZoomInfo.com. You can also look up classifications of business establishments with the U.S. Census Bureau’s North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes or the U.S. Department of Labor’s Standard Industry Classification (SIC) codes, which will be helpful when using Reference USA.

Don’t Do Things That Are Too Out of the Ordinary

There are still conventions in the world of business, and you don’t want to draw negative attention to yourself or seem desperate. So, don’t send your resume tucked in a shoe inside a shoebox to make the point that you now have one foot in the door. While different industries might value or welcome some creativity, be sure to know what’s appropriate before doing something outside the box.

Schedule Informational Interviews

Ask a few people who work in your target industry or company if they would take 30 minutes to speak to you about their company, industry, or themselves and their journey as to how they got to where they are today. It’s a great networking opportunity. Once they agree to meet, send an agenda so there is a focus to the meeting, to really make you shine.

Write a Value Proposition Letter

What is a value proposition letter? It’s a brief statement (100-150 words) that succinctly explains the unique qualities, skills, and accomplishments of a candidate. In other words, it states how you will add value to a company. Using persuasion, value proposition letters explain how you can solve a problem or fix a pain point in a company better than anyone else thanks to your expertise and unique offerings. It also focuses on actions you will take if hired and can be used for most positions where you can offer some technical expertise or specialty knowledge. The letter sets you apart from the competition and can also highlight your transferable skills. This is certainly not meant for an entry-level position because you need to be able to highlight your quantifiable achievements, although it might be a key tool for a high-level executive. Appendix H includes a sample value proposition letter; other examples be found online, Just Jobs Academy and About Careers are two good websites to visit (Shannon 2012 and Doyle 2016).

What About That Salary Question?

When it comes to discussing salary, many job seekers have heightened anxiety levels. They don’t want to undervalue or undersell themselves, nor do they want to provide a number that will knock them out of an opportunity. First thing first: Do your homework and review typical salaries based on the scope of the job. Chapter 11 contains more details on researching your market value, but Payscale.com, Salary.com, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics are all good places to start.

Once you review industry salary information, you should also create a salary history for your personal information and also determine your personal salary expectations. For example, how much money do you need to make to continue living the lifestyle you are accustomed to? Use the worksheet in Appendix I to help gauge your expenses.

Job advertisements occasionally list the salary or range for the job, but they usually don’t. If the advertisement requests that you provide salary information when you apply, you might stipulate in your cover letter that you’re seeking a competitive salary or the market value of the position, but are flexible and prefer to discuss the matter in person during an interview. If you feel compelled, you could tell them you are seeking a range between $x and $y. However, it is always best for an employer to state the first number or range rather than you, so try to postpone any salary talk until there is an actual offer. You should also try to defer revealing information about your current salary because you want to be considered based on your background and experience, not your past salary.

If the “how much did you make in your last position” question comes up in a telephone screening, you can tell the screener that you have researched fair market values of similar jobs, and would imagine that you could find a common ground at the appropriate time with a competitive compensation package. It’s not just about base salary, but total compensation with all the other benefits that go along with it: vacation, proximity, health coverage, bonuses, 401(k), stock options, insurance, tuition reimbursement, and other perks, not to mention the bigger picture of career path, culture, challenges, and travel.

Your past salary information is private and confidential. Previous salaries should have no bearing on a potential salary, but employers often ask for salary history on employment applications. Whenever possible, leave it blank or enter a range. If you are asked for this information during an interview, you may be able to defer with a comment such as “let’s further explore how my capabilities, qualifications, background, and skills would be an asset to the company and keep an open mind on compensation at the moment.” However, if strongly pressed for this information, provide a range that is consistent with your past salaries and current market value.

What if you are applying for a job online and the application has those annoying little boxes for salary information? It really irks a lot of job seekers when they cannot move on in an online application until those boxes are complete. So what can you do other than provide the truth? First, you can try to put $0 or the minimum accepted number. You can also try entering a range. If none of those options work, you may have to enter a number. If you have done your research, you will have a figure in mind that is consistent with industry standards. Then, in the first available comment box, note, “Salary is flexible and negotiable, salaries reported reflect my current salary target,” or whatever comment is appropriate to the numbers you listed. If there is no comment box, then include your comment on salary in your cover letter.

Applying for Jobs Online

There are so many jobs advertised online nowadays. Decades ago, many jobs were advertised in newspapers, and while some still are, the number has dwindled. Some advertisements ask for resumes to be emailed or faxed, which is a good thing, because there’s a chance your resume will actually be reviewed by a human. However, if your resume is not deemed a “stand out” in the first six to 15 seconds, it doesn’t matter how qualified you are for that position. You probably won’t wind up in the “A” pile, especially if there are hundreds of people applying for the same job. In chapter 5 you learned how to craft an effective resume. Make sure to take that advice to heart.

Challenges of the Applicant Tracking System

Many job applicants have had the experience of submitting their overly formatted resume to an online job posting, but despite being extremely qualified, they are not receiving a response. This is probably because the company used applicant tracking system (ATS) software to help their talent acquisition personnel or hiring managers have an easier and more efficient screening process.

When candidates submit their resumes online, the ATS scores, sorts, and stores them in a database. This may be good for the company, but it’s bad for the job applicant. Why? Because your resume is being routed through an electronic gatekeeper into a black hole—in fact, research suggests that nearly 75 percent of all resumes are never even seen by human eyes (Peggs 2015, Resume Genius, Levinson 2012).

The reason for so many “lost” resumes is most likely the ATS filtering system. What goes in doesn’t necessarily mean that is what comes out. This is reality check time. When was the last time you won the lottery? The odds are stacked against you—maybe 25 percent of submitted resumes will get through the online system to even be looked at by a human. However, miracles can and do happen. So, you need to be prepared with the knowledge of how to actually get your resume through the proverbial “black hole.”

How the ATS Works

When you submit your resume to an ATS it is run through a parser, which assigns meaning to the content. Resumes are scanned not only for keywords, but also for key phrases. In other words, the technology has the ability to look for words in front of and following the key words. This is known as contextualization.

Once the content is analyzed for terms that are both related and unrelated, it is then mathematically scored for relevance. In addition, the depth of experience that a potential candidate has and how this experience falls into the candidate’s career path is also reviewed. Your score is then validated and the resume either moves on to human eyes—or into the black hole.

Applying for Jobs Through an ATS With LinkedIn

Some applicant tracking systems allow you to log in with your LinkedIn account. This is great news if you have fully optimized your profile and packed it with keywords and kept it up-to-date. Refer back to chapter 6 for more information about optimizing your LinkedIn profile.

How to Avoid the Black Hole

What do you need to do to beat the ATS? You need to be a savvy job seeker and optimize your resume with strong content. Here are 18 important tips that you should consider as you review and optimize your resume for online applications.

  1. Customize your resume for each position with applicable skills and experience. Quality of resume versus quantity of submissions is the preferred path. Carefully read the job description and highlight key terms, then weave those terms into your current resume. Jobscan (www.jobscan.co) compares the text in your resume to the job description and provides a percentage of how well your resume matches. Wordle (www.wordle.net) or Tagul (http://tagul.com) will create a word cloud from your resume to highlight keywords.

  2. Remove all images and graphics—including logos, pictures, and photographs—from your resume because they are not readable.

  3. Fonts matter! Do not use a font size smaller than 10 point, and do not use any script fonts. Arial appears to be the best font to use, although Courier, Impact, Lucinda, Tahoma, Trebuchet, Times New Roman, and Verdana are also acceptable. However, if the ATS requires a document that is .txt or .rtf, the font will most likely be Courier. Don’t bold, italicize, or underline either.

  4. Don’t hide any text or keywords and try to cheat the system. In other words, don’t type words from the job description in your resume and then change the font to white hoping it will get through the ATS. The parsers will probably catch this, and it will come out the other end in something that is black on white and readable. The end result will be a human judging you for trying to be sneaky.

  5. Consider removing irrelevant positions from your resume. Remember, you’re tailoring your resume to the job, so only include positions that are relevant. If, for example, you are a CPA and MBA and worked retail during a busy holiday season, you might not want to include that in your resume if it was just to help you manage to pay your bills while in transition.

  6. Beware of special characters. Do not use arrows, stars, or squares. The round dark filled-in bullet points are the most appropriate to use.

  7. Avoid shading, fancy borders, tables, and section breaks, as well as lines that cross the page to separate resume sections.

  8. Check for spelling errors because, in addition to making you look careless, the ATS may miss keywords if they are misspelled.

  9. Make sure your contact information is at the top of the document and not in the header or footer. Include your name, phone number, and email at a minimum. It’s always good to include your customized LinkedIn, too. You can also provide your Twitter handle and links to other social media sites if they are professional, rather than personal.

10. Type the dates of your employment after listing your employer, rather than before. Be consistent with how you format the dashes between the dates. Know the difference between a hyphen, en dash, and em dash, as well as the proper way to use them.

11. Send your resume through the ATS from a Word document or a rich text format rather than a PDF. Microsoft Word documents are typically used because the ATS readers seem to handle them better than a PDF. However, each software platform is different. In addition, uploading a resume is preferred over copying and pasting it into text boxes. If you have to copy and paste your content into boxes, that is a pretty good indication the ATS is not reading your resume.

12. Do not upload your resume multiple times because this may hurt, rather than help, your cause—it won’t help you get noticed in a good way. If you are applying to multiple positions in a company, make sure your resume is consistent.

13. Highlight your area(s) of expertise with descriptive text rather than being a generalist (unless this is your title for HR). Companies look for experts, so focus on your specialized niche. Generic terms include marketing, communications, or operations, whereas more specific descriptions include customer experience, multilingual global marketing communications, and commercial facilities management.

14. Only include typical resume sections such as summary profile, core competencies, professional experience, education, and skills. Do not add unfamiliar headings such as affiliations, memberships, and publications (unless you are an academic). Also ditch the objective section, because it is outdated. Typical resumes may be formatted in chronological order, a functional format, or perhaps a hybrid of the two. Whatever format you use, if it copies over correctly, then you know the ATS is able to read it.

15. In lieu of listing job descriptions under your professional experience, list bullet-pointed quantifiable accomplishments and achievements. Any statistics, numbers, or percentages you can include will help describe your contributions to the position. List the bullet points most relevant to the job description first. If the bullet points are not full sentences, they should not include a period. The bullet points should begin with an accomplishment or action verb. If it’s for a current job, the verb tense will be present. If it is for prior employment, the verb tense will be past tense. Examples include supervised xxx people, increased sales $xxx in an x-year period, decreased expenses by xx%. (See chapter 5 for a list of action verbs.)

16. Use industry terminology that is relevant to the position so the applicant screening tools that index and crawl submissions will pick up these key terms and phrases. It’s particularly important to include specific terms that are included in the job description. If you’re trying to move into a new industry, make sure you use the terminology common to that industry.

17. Keywords are one of the main ways that the ATS mathematically scores and ranks a resume. One way to determine which keywords to include is to run the job description through a keyword or text analyzer. Jobscan is an online analyzer program that lists how many skills are matched in your resume to the job description, how many skills are found in the job description, and what words you are missing in your resume. Jobscan recommends at least an 80 percent match before you attempt to apply to a job.

18. As mentioned in chapter 5, you will need two resumes: one that is visually attractive and nicely formatted for sending out through email and snail mail, and another that is totally deconstructed and unformatted for submitting to online job sites. Appendix F contains an example of a deconstructed resume that will have a much better chance of being read by the ATS. Many ATS software programs ask you to upload your resume at the beginning of the application process; this is when you would use your deconstructed resume. Other times you may be asked to upload your resume at the end of the online application; in that case, you would upload your eye-catching resume along with a cover letter, letters of reference, and so forth.

Cover Letters

Do you need a cover letter? Yes, if it is requested or if you need to sell yourself in a stronger way. Cover letters give you the opportunity to show your succinct and persuasive writing skills and demonstrate if you know how to use proper grammar, correct spelling, and correct punctuation. It also showcases your knowledge on the conventions of properly formatting a business letter. If a cover letter is not requested, it is up to you to decide whether to include one. In my experience, a third of recruiters never read cover letters, a third read them if they like the resumes, and a third read the cover letter first and will not consider anyone who doesn’t send a good cover letter. As a result, it can’t hurt you to send a cover letter, but it might hurt you if you don’t send one.

The contact information at the top of your resume should match what you put on your cover letter exactly, including the font. The distance from the top and bottom of the cover letter should be equivalent so that the white space is balanced at the top and the bottom. Left justified is the preference of many professionals. The following is a common order for cover letter components:

•  Sender’s Address

•  Date

•  Recipient’s Address

•  Salutation

•  Body Text Paragraph 1

– Identify the position and how you learned about it.

– State why you are interested in the organization or position.

•  Body Text Paragraph 2

– Summarize your strengths and why you are a good match for the position.

– Target how your personal skills match the job requirements.

– Highlight a few accomplishments and how they relate to the position.

– Share your value proposition and how you can fulfill the needs of the company with your background and experiences.

•  Closing Paragraph 3

– Thank the reader for considering you for this position.

– Offer further information.

– State that you would like to schedule an interview and look forward to hearing back from them.

•  Signature Block

– Use a sign off such as “Sincerely” followed by four lines to place your signature before your first and last name.

•  Enclosures

•  cc:

Cover Letter Styles

There are different kinds of cover letters (see Appendix J for a few sample cover letters). While you can use the traditional paragraph format, cover letters can be written for different reasons and in different styles, including, but not limited to:

•  response to an invitation to apply to a specific job opening: explains your qualifications for the position

•  referral letter: notes the name of the referral (warm contact)

•  networking information request: asks for advice on the industry or company

•  pre-networking letter: notifies the recipient that you will be calling

•  prospecting letter: expresses an interest in the company without applying to a specific job (cold contact)

•  job match or “T” cover letter: has two columns in the middle of the letter with the job requirements on the left and your matching qualifications on the right

•  bullet list cover letter: highlights key areas of proficiency or specific attributes

•  recruiter cover letter: explains the type of role you are qualified to fulfill

•  former employer cover letter: notes no ill feelings for the downsize

•  value proposition letter: explains your uniqueness and strengths and how you can help the company, rather than focusing on past accomplishments.

Summary

There are several traditional and more creative ways to bring your skills, accomplishments, and resume to the attention of target employers, as well as tips and tricks to format your resume for the applicant tracking system. However, even though you are now armed with this knowledge, don’t forget to go out and network your way to a new job. If it seems harder trying to find a job than actually having one, then you are probably being successful in your quest to network in the morning, afternoon, and evening while building your local connections on LinkedIn. Consider using value proposition letters, especially if you are looking for a senior executive-level position or have desirable industry-specific skills. Continue to be active and persistent in person and online so that you can accomplish your mission. Remember that each “no” is one step closer to a “yes.”