How To Get Called In For Interviews

Should You Use MS Word or PDF When Uploading Your Resume to a Job Posting?

 

Microsoft Word (MS)

 

When you apply for a job online and upload your resume, make sure you upload your resume and cover letter in MS Word format.  When you upload your resume to a job posting, it could go through a company's software system called Applicant Tracking Software (ATS).  When this software receives your resume, it scans your document(s) to determine if you have the correct keywords and search phrases that the company is looking for in a candidate.  If you uploaded your resume as a PDF, it may be more difficult for the software system to extract the information and could even reject your resume.  This is why we strongly recommend uploading a copy of your resume and cover letter in MS Word versus PDF to job postings online.

 

If you are emailing your resume directly to a Hiring Manager, it is safe and recommended to send as a PDF version.

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Which Employment Websites Should You Use To Apply For Jobs?

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The more employment websites you utilize to find jobs online, the better.  However, we are seeing the best results through the following websites:

 

1. www.indeed.com

2. www.simplyhired.com

3. www.jobing.com

4. www.careerbuilder.com

5. www.monster.com

 

 

Federal Jobs:

If you are applying for federal jobs, make sure you have a Federal Resume.

 

• www.usajobs.gov

 

 

Arizona State Jobs:

For job seekers that are seeking state jobs in Arizona.

 

• www.jobs.maricopa.gov

 

 

Glassdoor:

Research a company or position within a company.  Use Glassdoor to review what employees are saying about the organization.  Glassdoor is great to research the salary you can expect to make.

 

• www.glassdoor.com

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Information Technology (IT) Jobs:

For job seekers applying for IT jobs, we recommend Dice.com.

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• www.dice.com

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LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is becoming a widely used job board platform where employers are seeking career seekers.

 

• www.linkedin.com/jobs​

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Will Companies Research Me Online Through LinkedIn?

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YES!

 

LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site in the world.  According to CareerBuilder.com, "A new survey found that 51 percent of employers who research job candidates on social media said they’ve found content that caused them to not hire the candidate".

 

Make sure your LinkedIn account is up to industry standards, is powerful, professional, and exhibits your greatest core competencies.

 

If you need assistance creating a Professional LinkedIn account that's Search Engine Optimized, let us know!

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How Many Professional References Should I Provide on a Job Application?

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Three - Five References

 

Employers are now, more than ever, doing additional background checks on a potential job seeker.  An employer will want to call and possibly email between three to five of your references.  Three of the five that you list should be former or current colleagues.  The other two references can be church members or friends.

 

Note 1:  It's estimated that approx. 71% of job candidates don't get called back for an interview because of something negative that a reference said about them.

 

Note 2:  Current or former managers might not be allowed to be your reference due to a company's Human Resource policies.  Speak to your references prior to listing them on your Professional Reference List or job application.

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What Should I Do Before Getting Called In For Interviews?

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Be Prepared!

 

1. Change your voicemail greeting!  What do employers hear when they are directed to your voicemail greeting?  Make sure you record a personal greeting rather then a standard non-personalized message.  Example:  Hi, you've reached the voicemail of _____ ______ (first & last name).  I'm sorry I missed your call, but please leave your name, number, and the reason for your call, and I'll return your call same business day".

2. Keep your phone on you.  Once you start applying for jobs, be ready to answer calls from incoming potential employers.  Some employers might not leave a voicemail.

3. Check your email regularly.  Employers will most likely email you first to schedule a phone interview with you.  Respond to the employer within an hour or less.  Employers want to fill a position ASAP.

4. Set up a Professional Email Signature.  Go the extra mile and show them you're updated on industry trends.  Include a professional email signature.  Example: include your first and last name, phone number(s), email address, and a professional quote if so desired.

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How Many Times A Day Should You Be Submitting My Resume?

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15 - 20 Times A Day, MINIMUM

 

Getting called in for an interview is a numbers game.  The more job applications you fill out, the more resumes you submit, the greater your odds are of getting called in for interviews.  You should not be submitting your resume and filling out anything less than 15-20 job applications a day. 

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How Many Days A Week Should You Fill Out Job Applications?

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5 Days a Week

 

Treat applying for a job, like a job.  Submit your resume Monday - Friday and take the weekends off to relax and recoup from all your hard work.

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What Time On Each Day Should You Be Submitting My Resume To Job Postings Online?

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4:00am - 7:00am is the prime time to apply for jobs!

 

You need to submit your Resume 15-20 times a day, 5 days a week, Monday - Friday between the hours of 4:00am and 7:00am. 

 

When a company decides they need to hire an employee, they send over the job description to the Hiring Department. The Hiring Manager then uploads the available position on various websites such as: Indeed, Jobing, CareerBuilder, etc.  Between the hours of 4am and 7am is when a lot of new job postings first hit the market.  You need to be first in line when the job postings first hit the market.  First come, first served. 

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Which Job Postings Should You Apply For First?

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Jobs that posted within the first 24 hours!

 

Why apply for jobs that were posted two or three weeks ago when you can apply for jobs that were posted today?  When you go onto Indeed.com, sort the jobs listing by "date".  Apply for the jobs that just posted within the last 24 hours.  After you have applied for those jobs, continue to apply for jobs that were posted online within the last 24-72 hours.  The longer the job has been open, posted, and on the market, the less likely it is that you'll get called in for a job interview.

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What's A Phone Interview And Why Is It So Important To Pass?

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Screening Process.

 

Many employers are now making job seekers pass a Phone Interview prior to scheduling a Face-To-Face Interview.  Why?  To weed out unqualified job seekers who applied for the job.  If you successfully pass the phone interview, you'll be invited to meet with the potential employer for a sit-down face-to-face interview.

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How Will The Hiring Manager Usually Contact You To Schedule The Phone Interview?

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By email (usually).

 

After you have filled out a job application and submitted your resume and cover letter to the potential employer, an employer will make contact with you.  Most of the time, a Hiring Manager will email you to set up a day and time to do the Phone Interview.  However, there are occasions when an employer will just call you out of the blue with no expected warning (be prepared)!

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What If An Employer Calls Without Warning To Do The Phone Interview?

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Schedule a call back.

 

If a Human Resource Recruiter just calls you without warning, ask to schedule a call back.  A respectable company, seeking talented team members to add to their organization, will generally email you first to schedule a time to talk.  Some companies will try to throw you off guard to see how quickly you think on your feet.  Don't fall for the trap!  Politely and professionally, ask for the recruiter's name, company, job title and phone number and ask if they can call you back at a specific time and day.

 

By scheduling a call back, this allows you to better be prepared.  If you've applied for a lot of jobs, you might not remember exactly what job the recruiter was calling about.  This will give you time to go online, research the position you applied for and do more research on that specific company.

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What Are Employers Evaluating You On During A Phone Interview?

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Communication skills, intelligence, and job qualifications.

 

Phone Interviews are more common in today's job market than ever before.  You might be more qualified for a particular position, but if you can't communicate clearly and effectively, you might not be called back for a face-to-face interview.

 

During a Phone Interview, employers are evaluating how well you communicate, your level of intelligence in general, and last but not least, your job qualifications.  Remember to take your time answering questions, breath, and give real life examples of how you solved complex issues.

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What Are Two Questions You Should Ask Before The Employer Starts Asking You Their Questions?

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Interview Tip Strategy.

 

Once the phone interview starts, it will eventually dive into the hiring manager asking you lots of tough questions.  Before this stage in the process happens, you need to open the interview up with two very important questions of your own!  What are the questions you need to ask the employer very quickly before they begin to ask you their questions?

 

Answer:

 

1. "Could you tell me a little more about the roles and responsibilities of this particular position; more than what I was able to research online?"

2. "What are some of the greatest strengths that your most successful employees have in this role?"

 

Why ask these questions early on?

 

If you understand what type of employee they are looking for, what character strengths they seek, and what successful job seeker they are expecting to hire, the quicker you can mimic that type of employee when they begin to ask their interview questions.

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What Typical Questions Does The Hiring Manager Ask During A Phone Interview?

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Questions can vary.

 

Here are some of the most common questions asked by a potential employer during a Phone Interview:

 

• Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

• Looking at your resume, I see you're currently employed at XYZ company.  Why are you looking at leaving your current employer?

• Looking over your resume, I see your last job was several weeks/months ago.  Can you tell me why you are no longer with your previous company and why you've been out of the workforce for so long?

• What do you know about our company?

• How did you hear about this job position?

• Why did you apply for this position?

• Tell me, what do you know and understand about the roles and responsibilities of this specific job position?

• What would you say are your greatest areas of strength?

• What would others say are your areas of weakness?

• What is your salary expectation for this position within our company?

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