The Challenges of Getting Noticed in This Job Market

It's tough finding a job out there. It's just as tough hiring.

I have hired a number of people in many different disciplines over the years. I currently have some openings on my team and I am learning a lot from the hundred+ resumes I have received. I, admittedly, have an odd attention to detail. I think this stems from being so inquisitive about the how and why of everything. I have some observations regarding these first impressions.

Cover Letter
What happened to the cover letter? I thought it was a given that when you apply for a job, you send a cover letter. In a market, such as the one we are all living, it is especially important to tell a prospective employer why you are the right candidate for the job. Your resume is an overview of your experience. The cover letter allows you to add color:

• why are you interested in that company and position?
• how does your experience translate to adding value if you join the team?
• give your elevator pitch on why they should meet with you in person to hear more
• exhibit your ability to communicate 

Your cover letter is  an introduction to your personal brand. Those skills that set you apart for the other applicants. I should read it and get an idea of who you are, and start to see how you'd fit in. I don't think it has to be formal business speak. Write in your own style and tell me who you are. Hiring managers may receive hundreds of resumes and we don't have time to meet you all in person. Make me want you.

Be conscious about pay scale. If the opening is asking for someone with 6-8 years of experience and you have 0 or 25 years, you should address this. If you have no experience, you need to explain how you qualify for a senior position. If you have three times the experience requested, my first thought is that I cannot afford you. There's a way to explain that you understand the market is competitive and are willing to accept a lower salary than you have in the past without coming off desperate for a j-o-b. As a manager, I am wondering if you just want a paycheck and will jump ship the moment the market comes back, or if you are really looking for the right role for you.

An important note regarding the cover letter and resume - you can make one file with both documents. Insert the cover letter in advance of your resume. You can do this with page breaks or section breaks. This way, if you are only allowed to upload one file, you can still explain yourself. Bonus points if you save this as a PDF file. At last count, I had receive 126 resumes and only 5 cover letters. Since resumes are, by nature, vague and/or general, it is really difficult to really read someone without this personal touch.

Your Resume
I have, in front of me, more than a hundred resumes. I understand that there are different ways for you to share your background - copy/paste into an application form, upload/attach, send via email, etc. This will vary depending on whether you are applying for a job through a recruiter, a company web site, a job site (like CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, etc.). We understand this. Let me offer up some tips...

Format. You have likely used a word processor if you have worked in an office. You are familiar with templates. So are we. Change it up. Different job families have different skill sets. For example, if you are seeking a job in the creative field, you best show some creativity in your resume.  These document types allow for elements that can set you apart from the competition.

• Layout - you can use invisible tables to change up the layout of your background. I understand that there are some sites that require a plain-text upload. You should have a "fancy" version at the ready for those that allow an upload in a native format form like Word, etc.
• Hyperlinks - please include links. Your email address should be a link. Your portfolio. Writing samples (for example, link to a press release you wrote). Your references. Your personal website (that may include your resume and all of these examples in one place). Anything that will help us learn about you and want to meet in person.
• Color - most of us will be viewing your resume on screen in initially. Even using grey can add some flair. Color is another way to differentiate your resume from the pack. Your resume is the second example of your capabilities. If you are applying for a creative job, please show some type of creativity in your resume. 
• If you are forced to use a plain-text resume, include a URL where they can find your resume/portfolio.

It is okay if you don't want to include any of these elements or you are applying for jobs that are more conservative. Please make sure your resume is not too vague if you go the "plain" route. I still recommend trying some formatting, especially if you are seeking a job where you will be using programs like Microsoft Office where a certain skill level is expected. You are, in effect, "checking the box" from the start, and they won't have to ask you about this skill.

Think about the context of the job for which you are applying. If I am hiring a designer and I receive a two-page, single-space, all-text resume with no reference to a "portfolio available upon request," or a link to one, it's going to the bottom of the pile. Always keep in mid we are looking for one of two things: reasons to talk further, or rule you out.

Spell Check. For the love of my sanity, please run a spell check. Have someone else proof your resume. Use a grammar check. I don't expect everyone to be as big of a word freak as I am, but I do expect that you have enough attention to detail to catch these errors. If you are applying for a job in communications, this would be a deal breaker.

The Big Picture. I received a resume referencing a job opening from three years ago (in the page header as well as within the letter), they also applied for another position I had listed, but didn't change anything in the cover letter, including the title of the opening. We know you are applying to numerous jobs, but be cautious when you apply for multiple positions at one company. If your cover letter looks like a form letter, you lose credibility and look desperate. If this applicant wrote two unique covers, it would have looked like they were seriously fishing for the right role, as opposed to just throwing a net in the water and hoping for the best.

Reconnaissance
When you find a job posting that interests you, do you go to that company's web site at that stage? You should. See what they do, if you are not already familiar. Start making your list of questions. If you are so lucky to be called in for an interview, it is a good idea to look like you have done your homework. A job is like a relationship, you spend more than 40 hours per week there. Even if you are perfectly qualified, it doesn't mean it's the right match for both parties. If that were true, I wouldn't still be single!

While we are on the subject of research, don't think for a second we are not doing our own reconnaissance. Here are some of the things I am checking out...I don't judge 100% on them because I understand that there are always other factors that come into play, but they are part of your background and help me determine if I want to know more.

LinkedIn. My very first step is to look you up on LinkedIn - do you have a presence? Is your profile up to date? Do you have recommendations? Do we share connections? Are you in any groups? Are you active in these communities? If you haven't embraced LinkedIn yet, or you think that it's only for posting a resume, you need to get with the program. An active presence on LinkedIn doesn't mean you are job hunting, it means you are relevant and interested in connecting with people. I am involved in groups related to hobbies, as well as some related to my job - I can post a question and have countless people who can respond. Another note about shared connections - please know that I will probably reach out to them for their thoughts, whether they are listed as a reference or not. When I applied for my current job, I think more than 15 former colleagues were contacted for input on my work.

Google. Yes, just as I do with any first date, I Google you too. What comes up when you are Googled? When you Google me, this is what you find out in the top-ten results: Link to my LinkedIn profile; link to my Twitter profile (and my user handle); A link to my profile on my employer's web site; You can see I am on Google+, and through that you can see I have dogs, and I have this blog (not sure how this happens since I only share with circles on G+...); I have worked on my family tree; you can see that some MyLife site has cataloged me-never heard of it; and you can see a slew of pictures, many of which i have never seen in my life. These items all give a good picture of me and my interests, and (hopefully_ show me in a positive light to prospective employers. Maybe there's something negative on there - you can't change this immediately. What you can do is know what's publicly accessible about you and be prepared to answer questions.

Twitter. I am going to search and check out what you Tweet about. I do realize that you are human and have a life outside of work, but I am pretty good at reading people (also why that cover letter is important). I had a tweet that was in response to a comedian I loved and was pretty funny in context, albeit distasteful. I was asked to remove it. Maybe review your Twitter feed and make sure there isn't anything you wouldn't want a prospective employer to read. You should know that it may never fully be removed from the interwebs.

Other Social Media. I don't have much time to search Facebook or Google+ etc. If public stuff shows up in the Google results I'll look at it. If it looks like you get exceptionally opinionated about things publicly, I might do more digging.

It goes both ways. Two of the applicants were proactive in finding me on either LinkedIn or my employer's web site and sent a cover letter and resume directly to me, in addition to their application on our web site. One interviewee knew the make-up of my team and talked about how he'd fit in.  These are some of the more positive ways to stand out!

Final Thoughts...
Even though I didn't mention this earlier, you should be conscious that some companies have HR departments, or something similar, screening the resumes for qualified applicants. In my case, I am doing this screening myself. If someone else screened them, I might have only had a handful of qualified applicants. Make sure your background and skills are crystal clear as it relates to the posted opening. This is another area where a cover letter could keep you in the running.

There are a number of ways for you to set yourself apart from others competing for the same jobs. Do something...or you may find yourself out of the race before it starts.

Let me know your thoughts, or if you found anything here helpful!