How to Get More Job Interviews

Are you unknowingly hindering your job search progress? This job market is crazy, and it’s super competitive in certain fields, but success is still attainable. As a former hiring manager and as someone who helps women land their highest paying job ever, here are 6 things you need to reexamine if you’re not getting interviews.

1. Your résumé.

One of the biggest résumé mistakes I see many job seekers make (besides their formatting and design) is that their work experience reads like a job description. There's no distinctive information that demonstrates the type of employee they are nor the type of results they consistently deliver.

Your résumé is essentially a marketing tool to showcase the value, expertise, skills and abilities that you have to offer a company. Do this right and you'll not only get the interviews, but you'll be setting yourself up for a competitive salary offer.

If you don't know how to communicate your value, check out my on-demand workshop where I teach the exact process I use with my private clients that have secured them job opportunities that paid $20,000 - $100,000 more than their previous salary.

2. Your cover letter.

I read A LOT of boring, uninspired cover letters during my many years as a hiring manager. And those candidates typically didn't move forward in the process. While many people think cover letters aren’t important, it can be a missed opportunity if done incorrectly or skipped entirely.

I teach my clients how to write a captivating cover letter, and it starts with a strong opening paragraph that hooks the reader in. If you're starting your cover letter with "I am excited to apply..." or "Please accept this letter as my application for..." then you're doing it wrong. Majority of the applicants are taking that approach, so that's not how you stand out.

In the body of your cover letter, make sure you're not regurgitating your résumé. Recruiters and hiring managers have very little time, and they don't want to read / skim the same thing twice.

Close out your letter with thanking them for their time and express your interest in meeting with them in the future.

If you want some helpful feedback on your cover letter, you can book a cover letter review.

3. Are you tailoring your job application materials for every job you’re applying for?

Just because you're applying to "Marketing Manager" roles at various companies doesn't mean you can send the same résumé and cover letter for each one.

Every job posting is different, and every company is different.

Each job will have different nuances and requirements that you need to reflect in your application materials.

Go beyond just incorporating key words. Use your critical thinking skills and identify some of their most pressing needs and clearly explain your abilities to meet those needs.

You'll also want to reflect any shared company values, mission and goals. This also varies by company.

I see many people skip this important step because they are playing the numbers game--"I gotta apply to 100 jobs this week." If you're doing that, I can guarantee you're not properly tailoring your application for every job.

You can increase your efficiency with tailoring your résumé if you’ve got a system in place. I teach my clients my Master Résumé System in this on-demand workshop.

4. A portfolio (if you’re in the creative or communications industries).

The marketing, communications and creative space is hyper competitive right now... the most competitive I've ever seen in my 25 years in this space.

Being able to show your work samples can give you a leg up on the competition, and you can use a portfolio to push back on any test projects (a.k.a. free labor) that maybe asked of you during the interview process.

You have several options for presenting your portfolio, everything from a simple PDF report to a slide deck to a website.

Make sure you know how to best display your work and communicate your value through a portfolio. Remember, it's not about including everything you've ever done. Focus on the most impressive and relevant work.

If you want an experienced hiring manager for marketing, web, PR and comms to review your portfolio, you can submit your request here.

5. Are you applying for the right roles?

Applying to anything and everything is not a proper job search strategy. In fact, this approach is not only going to burn you out, but you'll also be frustrated by endless responses of "you're overqualified" or "there were other candidates with more experience."

In this job market, employers have the upper hand. Unlike the last couple of years, there's too many candidates and not enough jobs in certain industries like marketing and talent acquisition.

Don't waste your time applying for jobs where you're very overqualified, unless you have a personal connection that you can leverage. Companies will not pursue you for a couple of reasons: 1) You're a "flight risk," meaning they believe you'll leave when a better job comes along and 2) They assume your salary requirements will be too high, and they won't be able to afford you.

It's a good idea to apply for roles that will challenge you and allow you to grow your career, but make sure you're meeting the minimum requirements, unless you have someone who is referring you and will advocate for you.

6. How are you leveraging your network?

I hate to break it to you, but networking isn't sending DMs or connection requests to people you don't know on LinkedIn.

It's not asking total strangers to spend some of their valuable time helping you find a job. Sure, you might get lucky and find a kind soul who's willing to help you.

But for the most part, asking for favors from strangers will be met with silence.

Networking is really about building relationships that are mutually beneficial.

Make a list of people you already know. This about who will put their reputation on the line to refer you or at least be willing to introduce you to people in their network. Work those connections and then focus on expanding your network by building new relationships.

If you need more help with growing your network and nurturing those relationships, check out the on-demand networking workshop.