Apply and get the Job - Why you don’t end up being called for an interview
1 December 2017
Nowadays most job applications are now online. You found a job ad for an entry position online in ABC Company, with your skills and qualifications. You feel you’re the right person, but ABC Company requires an online application. And if you submit your resume online how can you ensure it gets the attention it deserves?
If you want the job, please kindly follow the employer's process. Employers wants candidate to find job openings on companies website or online job portals; they require online applications; and they prefer to communicate to candidates via email.
Hiring with the aid of technology is a time and money saving proposition for businesses. It has maximized efficiency in the candidate selection process.
Employers can advertise to wider and more diverse candidates which means you've got more competition like ever before. Employers can find matches for hard to fill position, easily share resumes of qualified candidates.
Using a company's own online application system is the fastest way to get your resume into the right hands. Your focus should be on making your application unique to avoid it being lost in the internet. Typically, applications submitted online go directly into the employer's applicant database. Paper resume are scanned or keyed into the database (Where a data processor may add error to your resume)
Hiring manager who needs to fill a position uses keywords to search the database and find the application of the people who are the best fit for the job. That result becomes the candidate pool.
What does it takes to have your resume surface in the candidate search?
- Follow directions. Be careful to enter the correct data in the correct field.
- Tailor your application information to the position. Don't copy and paste from your resume.
- Use keywords and industry verbiage. Use the verbiage in the job ad as your model. Employers search for keywords when they're looking for people to fill a specific position.
- Create a skills inventory section, even if the application doesn't require it. You might put it in the comment section below.
- Complete all fields - even those that aren't required. Don't be lazy; searching for a job is a full time job.
- If the company offers an optional assessment online, take it.
- Make sure your resume can hold its own in a very simple format. Fancy bullets, text, italics, and bold do not convert well in an electronic application.
- Spell- and grammar-check your application before submitting it. Have an error-free application, it serves as the employer's first impression of you
- Use the comments section to demonstrate that you've done your research on the company
- Follow up your electronic application with a personal email to the recruiter. A follow-up phone call is acceptable if the ad does not say "No phone calls."
Most applications are similar and require basically the same information you would include on a resume. It is important to fill in the form honestly, without exaggeration or understatement. Employers will check the reliability of the information gained through the Application Form before offering you the job.
Many firms use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs) when reviewing résumés initially. ATS stands for applicant tracking system. It is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment, including automated filtering of résumés, applications, and other business documents, based on given criteria such as keywords, skills, former employers, years of experience, and schools attended. A Word document is recommended to ensure that the résumé can be read if an ATS is used.
Good luck in your job application and I hope you come to thank me later...
