Not hearing back from employers? Read This!

I remember attending a presentation from a Human Resources Manager at a job fair years ago. The audience was composed mainly of job seekers, who could not understand why they were not getting a response from employers when sending out their résumés.

The presenter asked us, “Who has sent ten résumés to employers and did not get a response?” Everybody raised their hands. She continued, “Who has sent more than one hundred résumés to employers and still received no response?” To my surprise, most of the participants kept their hands raised. “If you are sending out hundreds of resumes and getting no response, is continuing on this path really worth your time?”

In most cases, sending out hundreds of résumés will not bring the results you are expecting. Nowadays, many employers use systems to filter résumés based on keywords, allowing them to quickly eliminate any that do not contain information and keywords relevant to the job. Therefore, if you are not investing the time to build your résumé and cover letter to match the job description, it is likely that the employer will never see it. This is why customizing your résumé is extremely important. Job searching is about quality and not quantity.

If you are wondering how to add the quality factor to your résumé, consider following the tips below:

• Invest time into reading the full job posting and highlight keywords that you can incorporate into your résumé
• Get a sense of your competition through LinkedIn. Look at the profiles of individuals already working in similar positions at the company you are applying to and make note of keywords they have used
• Prepare a summary pointing out your strengths that are related to the requirements of that job.
• Through LinkedIn, connect with managers of the company you are applying to. Sometimes they are open to receive your résumé directly

If you need assistance customizing your résumé and cover letter, speak with an Employment Advisor at Lutherwood’s Employment Services. The support is free, and it will be valuable guidance for you.