Posted in Career Best Practices

The Secret to Landing Interviews Faster Than Everyone Else

Securing interviews leads to your next big opportunity. Advancing your career brings you one step closer to your dream job.

Understanding how to land interviews faster than the competition increases the odds of advancing in the hiring process. The following strategies can help.

Build Your Professional Brand

Most hiring managers and recruiters visit candidates’ online profiles to evaluate their skills, experience, and personality. Candidates with relevant qualifications and cultural fit receive interview invitations.

These tips help keep your social media profiles professional while showing your personality:

Use the same updated photo, biographical information, and keywords across platforms to maintain consistency.
Ensure all profiles are filled out and current.
Remove any unprofessional or inappropriate content and comments.
Connect with and follow industry professionals, targeted companies, hiring managers, and recruiters.
Regularly create, share, and comment on content.
Engage in industry-focused LinkedIn Groups.

Network

Most job openings are filled by word of mouth. Networking lets you uncover these openings and potentially land interviews.

Consider connecting with members of your network who work in your industry to see whether they know of any job opportunities matching your goals, skills, and interests. Also, use LinkedIn to research your desired roles and companies and connect with employees in similar positions.

Schedule Informational Interviews

Conduct informational interviews to learn more about a role, company, and its culture:

Connect with an employee in a similar role at a company you want to work for.
Ask to talk for 15-30 minutes.
Prepare questions about the position, organization, culture, and other relevant details.
Request an employee referral if the role and company are a fit.
Continue your search if you don’t find what you seek.

Tailor Your Resume

Customizing your resume shows how your skills and experience qualify you for the role. Understanding your fit encourages the hiring manager to contact you for an interview.

These tips help tailor your resume:

Limit your resume to one page.
List your relevant work experience, starting with your current role.
Include your relevant education, skills, and experience based on the job description.
Choose action verbs to emphasize your quantitative achievements in previous roles relevant to your desired position.
Use relevant keywords from the job description and industry to help your resume get past an applicant tracking system (ATS) and to the hiring manager.
Proofread your resume multiple times before submitting it.

Partner with a Recruiter

You can land more interviews and potential job offers by working with a recruiter than by searching independently. The recruiter’s extensive network can introduce you to employers and companies you otherwise might not have considered.

A recruiter advocates for candidates they know and trust. Therefore, establishing a strategic partnership helps the recruiter confidently present you to hiring managers looking for the value you provide.

These tips strengthen recruiter relationships:

Be open and honest about your goals, skills, experiences, accomplishments, strengths, weaknesses, and interests.
Schedule regular in-person or virtual meetings to provide updates and let the recruiter get to know you better.
Provide constructive feedback after interviews to help the recruiter match you with relevant opportunities.

Ready to Start Landing Interviews?

PrideStaff can match you with job opportunities that fit your goals, skills, and interests. Contact your local PrideStaff office to learn more today.

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