How to Get Shortlisted for Job Interviews?

Troubled with the ideas of how to get a job interview? Just want to put it out there- You’re not alone. Many students and professionals aspire to work for large tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, or Netflix.

You worked hard, gained valuable experience, and completed numerous projects, but there were no calls for interviews. Why is this the case? What’s the problem with your resume? Have you mentioned enough relevant experiences? How did you go about applying? How to Get Shortlisted for Job Interviews?

Today, we are discussing the answer to your question- How to get a job interview?

1. Resume or CV

There could be a variety of reasons why your resume is not being considered by these large firms. We’ll go over some resume tips as well as some common resume mistakes about getting a job interview.

Also Read:7 Tips on How to Get your Resume Noticed

 

To begin, you must understand that these companies receive thousands or millions of resumes every day, which are first scanned by algorithms. This algorithm selects a few resumes based on a few keywords relevant to the job. For example, if the profile is “Product Manager,” the algorithm will consider the keywords- Product and Manager and will scan all resumes that include this word, and vice versa for the other profile. The rest of the resumes are filtered out, and these resumes are then passed onto the HR department.

Here are few things that you need to make sure are on your resume clear as day:

1. Position
2. Contact information
3. Experience at work
4. Professional Abilities and Education
5. Recommendations and Testimonials
6. Any additional information

2. Portfolio

Due to the 2021 being a skill-based era, skills are much more important for a job than your CV. Therefore, spend double the amount of time to create your portfolio. Create a website/portfolio to showcase your experience. Many people wonder where they can find project ideas or what project they can construct. Check out open source for a plethora of projects that you can build. You can also contribute to some open-source projects that are already in existence. Contributions to open-source demonstrate your ability to collaborate.

3. The Chain of Command

It’s crucial to know the chain of command of the organization you’re applying in. The majority of organizations have six ways to find and hire their respective candidates:

1. Advertisements & Job boards

2. Recruitment Agencies

3. Networking & Word of Mouth

4. Contacts from Existing Staff

5. Internal Promotions or Lateral Moves

6. Temps & Consultants

However, that’s in no particular order of hierarchy.

If you’re active on LinkedIn, and other similar platforms, a recruiter may approach you. So it’s important to keep your profile updated and active.

Apply online through these companies’ career pages. It’s difficult to understand how to get shortlisted for job interviews, but people get their resumes chosen this way.

Make connections and obtain references from friends or colleagues who work in these companies. Your chances of getting a job interview will increase if someone working in these companies refers you.

Try contacting or connecting with people who are working for the company you’re aiming for via Twitter, Quora, or other social media platforms. Keep in mind that your first point of contact with them is essentially a cover letter. Don’t just say, “Hello, I’m Interested in your organization please refer me”.

Instead, tell them your qualifications & why you deserve that job. Take time to be creative and be as crisp and quick as possible.

Also read: How to find your next PM Job?

Few Bonus tips for getting an interview (welp, we loving giving those!)

1. Try to match your resume title to the job title you are applying to for search optimization.

2. Avoid verbose text. Keep sentences short and crisp, but use relevant keywords.

3. Keep format simple and save as a doc. File.

4. Alternate credentialing has its role to play. Add certifications and achievements.

 Take up a free course that can add to your professional credentials Now!

Before you go ahead, scan your document for spelling, grammar and plagiarism check. You might be dealing with a Grammar Nazi and you don’t want to get rejected for a little typo!