In a recent training Lisa Jordan and I facilitated, one of the class participants offered to share a resource she has been suggesting for her clients to use, and I want to share it with you!

Every day when I talk with clients, I hear the same story. “I’ve been sending my resume everywhere and no one ever gets back to me! I am so frustrated!” There are many possible reasons for this. Number one, and most importantly, most companies receive hundreds of applications and may become too overwhelmed to reach out to you in a timely manner. That is why YOU must follow up with the employer.

The second reason is that your resume may never even get to a real live human being who will read your resume. You may have already been screened out by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). In one article, ATSs are referred to as “soulless automated resume rejecters!”

What is an ATS? According to Wikipedia, it is “a software application that…filters applications automatically based on given criteria such as keywords, skills, former employers, years of experience and schools attended.” What this means, is that even the greatest resume could miss the mark if it is not customized for each position you are applying to.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, resume screening software use is widespread among larger companies to the tune of the “high 90 percent range.” It indicates that finding a Fortune 500 company that doesn’t employ an application tracking system would be exceptionally rare today.

So, what can you do to defeat the ATS?

Jobscan.com is an ATS tool that will assist you in identifying potential areas on your resume to revise and get past the resume eject drones! It does this by analyzing a resume with a job description to determine if the applicant is a good match for the job they are applying for.

I gave the process a try, and it involves three steps.

Step 1: Visit www.jobscan.co

Step 2: Copy and paste your resume into the resume section.

Step 3: Copy and paste the job description into the job description section.

Next, just hit the “Scan” button, and it will generate your results. If you don’t want to make you resume searchable by recruiters, there is a box to uncheck below the Scan button. You’ll then get results, based on a word scan, of what additional wording may need to be added. A free and very helpful tool!

Yesterday, I watched a webinar put on by GettingHired.com. You may remember them from an article posted last month.

As part of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebration, Getting Hired is hosting a webinar series called 'The Journey of Job Seekers with Disabilities', which aims to provide job seekers with valuable insight into the employment search process. Each 30 minute webinar will provide practical information on each area of the job search, application and hiring experience.

Topics include:

• Understanding the basics of the recruitment process & how to get noticed
• Common frustrations of job seekers
• Getting a job that's right for you
• What is 'Schedule A' and can it help you get a federal job?
• Understanding the online application process
• Requesting and managing accommodation
• The disclosure question and Self ID
• How can Getting Hired help with your job search?
• What employers are being actively inclusive of people with disabilities?

If you haven’t registered already, don’t miss out on this opportunity.
Register Today! 

We have been active on social media (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) for over a year now (have you connected with us?). How to use the picture-based social media platforms for the work we do had seemed elusive. I couldn’t see us posting “selfies” or regularly finding pictures that would be of interest to our clients (you!)…until I saw what Fresno State Career Services was doing. I couldn’t believe how simple it was and immediately put a plan in motion to get out there.

http://www.pinterest.com/humansolutions

On our page, you will find 25 “Boards” (think information category) on a variety of topics related to career development. Topics such as:

• Career Assessments
• Cover Letters
• Interview like a Pro!
• Job Search
• Know What You’re Worth
• LinkedIn
• Money Matters
• Negotiating – Creating a Win-Win!

And, the list goes on. On each Board are Pins. A Pin can be a link to an article, an infographic or an image that depicts the topic of the Board. In other words, there are a whole lot of resources on topics you can use for job search.

We’re pleased to make this resource available to you! We know a lot of you are on Pinterest already. We hope to see you out there. If you’d like to suggest some pins for our board, please feel free to do so. Happy Pinning!

In my experience as a recruiter, one of the most common frustrations expressed by clients is the sudden realization or feeling that they applied everywhere and still haven’t gotten anywhere. While at times that might feel like the truth, what if I shared with you this simple “old-school” trick might help you find dozens – or even hundreds of employers that you may not have known ever existed?

Having a list of “target” employers is crucial to a successful job search. If you are only relying on employment postings located on big job boards like Monster, Career Builder or Indeed, you are definitely limiting your resources. By using those boards, you have now become one of 200+ people applying for the same job. What if you could identify “target” companies – ones that would most likely have a position in their organization – that fits your skills and abilities?

The mystery resource is the Yellow Pages! Surprised? Yes, it’s that phone book we stuff in the back of our drawers every year or used as a booster chair at the dining table! That phone book will now be a huge asset in your job search campaign.

Using the online version, located at www.yellowpages.com, you can search by industry types, by “like” companies and even sort by distance from your zip code. This is a technique I have used since I was a recruiter in the medical field over 15 years ago. Let’s go through the steps on how to use it.

1. Go to www.yellowpages.com
2. Next, put in your address and zip code. From here there are two ways to search: either by company name (think of past employers if you are still looking for something in the same field) or by industry. Let’s do an example of each.

Example 1: Let’s say you are looking for a job as a book keeper. You used to work at H&R Block and would like to work with a similar company. Enter H&R block into the first search field and click search. Make sure your zip code is in the second field before clicking search! Once your results come up, use the filter drop down tool and select sort by distance. This will re-organize your results by distance from the zip code you entered. Now, you can click on the name of a company and find out additional information on the company website.

Example 2: The other alternative is to search by industry categories. You can search by industry categories two ways: in the Categories section of the first search, you will see categories listed with the company. It might give multiple categories. You can click on these links to find similar types of companies. Remember to re-sort by distance so you find the results you want. There will be some cross-over, but there may be companies you’ve never considered before. This search, for me, produced over 130 results in a 10 mile radius! With this list, you can then research the company websites, call to find out who the hiring manager is, submit your resume, follow up, and ask for an interview!

So, what do you think? Simple, right? Even if a company doesn’t have an opening listed on their website, you should apply anyway! Now, you have just changed your odds from one out of 200 candidates to maybe one in 20 or 30. Give it a try! If you have any questions, please let us know.

Do you feel you are seeing results in your job search campaign? Would you like to see more results?  Having a written plan is great way for you to keep up your job search momentum and the results consistent!

If you haven’t visited our NEW & IMPROVED, client-only website yet, take a look at the Job Search Resources tab-Online and Offline tools.  You will find an Activity Calendar Template and Sample.  Using the activities listed in the Activity Key, start plugging in how you would like to organize your day.  The most critical part is setting weekly numeric goals for researching potential employers, submitting application & resumes, following up, and connecting with new contacts on LinkedIn.

Start off by setting a goal that’s realistic for you so you can gradually build up over a few weeks.  If you are only sending out three or four resumes a week, add 1-2 more each week.  Ideally, sending out 10 or more resumes a week, consistently, is going to result in more follow ups and more interviews!

This is a great tool to share with your Career Specialist during your Quick Coach Calls.  You can brainstorm on what is working and what might need to be tweaked depending on the results you are getting!