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Landing interviews

Veteran

Brian Parisi El Paso, TX

I’ve applied to over 100 jobs. Lots with education and requirements below my level. Have not even received phone interviews. I’m updating my resume to match job requirements! Do I have to have connections at the company to land an interview?

5 July 2018 12 replies Military to Civilian Transition

Answers

Advisor

Lisa Duda Warwick, RI

Hi Brian,
Thank you for your service.

Sometimes direct networking with inside contacts is not possible. While that IS the best way to get noticed in the hiring process, you may need a Plan B to work in parallel.

With over 100 positions applied for, I'm guessing you are throwing a pretty wide net. Sometimes if we diffuse our focus, it is difficult to define a precise goal. Perhaps you can get more specific in your search?

Take an inventory of your transferrable skills, things you enjoy working on the most and jobs where your talents can bring the most value. Then look online at general job descriptions to narrow down to a 'specific' role you think you would like (ignore the pre-requisites and qualifications, determine what YOU want to be doing).

Then build a game plan;
>Research (in your target geography) specific companies that you would like to work for - try limiting it to the top 10. Find out if they utilize the type of job or role you are after - ie; 'Financial Analyst for an Accounting Firm'.
>Research the HR organization of your top 10 targeted companies - LinkedIn, Investor areas of Corp websites, Trade Networking events. Reach out to the highest level HR staff/manager you can find, with a killer Introduction letter personally addressed, describing the type of job, in general, that you would like to secure. Include why you will be a great fit and an asset to the company, and attach your resume highlighting transferrable skills, and any direct experience related to the role.
> HERE IS THE KEY - don't be concerned about having an opening for that specific role or job! If you make an impression and your skills are valuable and transferable for the company, its a matter of timing.
> Be persistent and have patience. If they don't have something for you now, keep reaching out every few/6 mos or so - but stay in touch. Follow-up is another key - if it is a company you really want to work for and build a career with, they will get the message and would be impressed by your conviction!

Good luck!
Lisa D.

27 July 2018 Helpful answer

Veteran

Linda Dyas Farmington, MN

Did you apply online? Did you follow up with someone inside the company or network to find an inside "sponsor"?
There is an awful statistic that says less than 3% of job seekers that only put in applications online get the job. That is a super low number and means you are going to have to get out, leverage the veteran community, meet people at the companies you are interested in and find someone who wants you to work for them. Your online application is then just a formality to "get you in the system"!

25 July 2018 Helpful answer

Advisor

Jason Shannon West Islip, NY

what industry are you applying to? i found the best way to start a career or land a job is mingling with people that work at the company you want to work for. i know this sounds crazy but just try calling one of the managers at the company and speak with them. i have hired alot of my best workers this way, also i got where i am today by taking risks and stepping out of my comfort zone. do what everyone else isnt doing. call and make an impression. if your looking for any advice relating to the mortgage industry i am always available on my cell for questions 516-425-4518 mortgage banking is a great career and pays very well if your interested let me know

Advisor

Carol Teasley Spring Lake, NJ

Brian, most medium to large companies are using these automated systems for job posting, resume collection, vetting and communication. I have encountered one called "iCIMS" on more than one occasion. I was fortunate to know someone who works for iCIMS who explained how this thing works and it changed the way I constructed my resume substantially. These systems "read" the resume and as someone said in an earlier comment, they are scanning for keywords as found in the job description as well as important information about you like degrees, previous employers and titles, certifications and skills. She shared that many resumes are rejected because of fancy formatting, fanciful bullet selections, unusual fonts, tables and indents. Any/all of these things apparently confuse the automated scanner. She advised that the electronically submitted resume should be simple and unadorned using dashes instead of bullets and tabs and returns to format the content. You can have a prettier version for handing to your interviewer of HR. All of this said - there is nothing better than a personal link to HR directly. Don't be shy about reaching out to people on Linked In who work for the target company to see if you are connected and ask if they would be willing to get your resume in front of HR. Best of luck and thank you for your service.

Advisor

Tom Cal, CFA San Francisco, CA

Watch this video, then provide feedback and ask questions. Feel free to also message me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FsUm5noXEM

Advisor

Emanuel Carpenter Alpharetta, GA

Hi Brian - What has worked for me is this:

1. Find jobs on LinkedIn that seem to be a good fit.
2. Send a connection request to the recruiter who posted the job on LinkedIn.
3. Click the button to apply for the job online and complete the application if required.
4. When the recruiter accepts the connection request, send your resume as an attachment through LinkedIn along with a couple of short paragraphs about why you are a good fit.

This should increase your chances of getting interviews with the companies you want to work for.

Hope this helps.

Advisor

Robert Taylor Marysville, OH

How long has it been since you applied? As discussed already, almost everyone uses electronic application today. You would think this would speed things up but in my experience it can actually slow it down by adding layers between you and the hiring manager. This is good for the hiring manager, in theory less resumes to review, but not good for "marginal" candidates because they can get dropped by the system or the recruiter.

I suspect you have the right education but not much experience. This is the ultimate Catch 22, you can't get hired without experience but you can't get experience until you landed a job. Do not give up. There is someone out there willing to take a chance on an "unproven" candidate. Especially in a competitive job market like today, managers want candidates with experience but can't always find them (or afford them). Eventually they loosen their expectations and are willing to look at other candidates.

One last thing, double and triple check everything on your submission. Just one small typo or spelling error can be enough to get you dropped. Hiring managers look through 100's of resumes and can only interview a handful. They look for any reason to eliminate a candidate, no matter how small.

Advisor

Wayne King Hampton, CT

Because of the electronic systems that many are using to screen your resume, keyword density is the trick. Make sure that your resume has as many of the critical phrases that are mentioned in the job posting. It's a bit frustrating, but sometimes necessary. Once I made this little change, I started receiving more responses to my applications. And, as Morgan suggested, bypass the process as much as you can. If you know someone or can make a connection to someone within the company, then go for it.

Advisor

Morgan Hoogvelt Helotes, TX

Create your own contact in the companies you are targeting. No need to consistently change your resume around. What you need to do is bypass HR and the resume reviewers and get yourself in front of the decision makers. Only then will you get the real looks that you want and need.

Good luck,

Morgan

Veteran

Brian Parisi El Paso, TX

Thank you everyone! These are awesome insightful answers. I will talk into account everything on future applications and networking.

Jillian- fantastic! I will look into the community page.

Advisor

Lynn Weisman Santa Monica, CA

Brian - the above are great pieces of intel and guidance. Further to those, don’t forget a “cover letter” type of intro that describes you in very few words (eg, team-player, natural leader, verbal fluidity, systems savvy, etc.). Take word-cues from info gathered about company and position sought, as described above. Don’t forget to follow up submission with inquiries about that company’s process - make friends with their HR folks. Best of luck! Lynn

Advisor

Deborah Carter Owens Cross Roads, AL

Hi Brian,

The short answer is, probably. I know how frustrating this can be but there may be a few things you can do to try to demystify the process and land the interview.

Do your research for each company to which you apply and determine if they have veterans hiring programs, outreach etc., and if possible connect with those teams first since many will offer to review your resume and can advise on specific jobs that you may be interested in applying. If those companies don't have veterans groups you may want to attend recruiting events or job fairs where they will have a booth. Come prepared to share your targeted resume and discuss specific openings. Ask if they'd mind taking a minute to review and provide feedback - are there key items that are missing?

Some other pointers are to mirror the terminology and acronyms in the job requisition within your resume (where appropriate and accurate). Leave off any experience (no matter how cool) that doesn't relate to that job directly. Pass on listing every military assignment, school and accolade - if they don't understand it immediately your resume will end up in the "I have no idea" pile.

Another thing to remember is that some companies aren't great at closing and removing jobs from their websites after the role has been filled, so how old is the opening? If it's really old, that's a red flag. It's either really hard to fill, it's already filled, it's a trolling requisition, or it could even be contingent upon contract award -- which could be soon or might be a lot later.

Good luck! You'll find the right role!
Deb

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