It’s harder now to get an interview, than it’s ever been.

Technology has created more barriers to get to speak to someone than ever before, particularly when it comes to the filtering software that a lot of companies use to sort through resumes.

Most of the time when you apply for a job, your resume isn’t even seen seen by a human being. It’s rejected by a software program.

So today, let’s go through 5 steps you can take to increase the likelihood of your resume being seen by a person who actually reads it, so you have the best chance of being offered an interview.

The first step is to create a disruptive cover letter.

In a nutshell your cover letter needs to grab the reader and hold them.

I’ve done 2 different videos on how to write your cover letter. The links are below so watch both because they give you 2 different strategies to use for your cover letter depending on the message you want to send to the company you’re applying to.

In the main, for most jobs you apply for, the 4 sentence cover letter is the best to use. It’s short, it’s straight to the point and most of all it’s effective. It works well.

The other cover letter strategy is when you feel you have a connection with the company, or it’s cause or it’s staff.

In that case, it may be better for you to put that connection into your cover letter.

I show you how to do that in the video How To Write A Cover Letter That Gets Read

It’s a good idea to write your 4 sentence cover letter before you apply for any jobs, that way you can move fast through the application process.

Look at the jobs that are a decent match for your skills, experience and only apply for those.

Don’t just apply to every job. That’s the ‘throw enough mud against the wall and hope some of it will stick strategy.

It doesn’t work, particularly when the company you’re applying to is using applicant tracking software, because the software will automatically reject your resume.

This doesn’t mean you can’t go after the job you really want. You can.

Just be aware that every time you apply for a job you need to get past the applicant filtering software the company uses. This means putting the right words into your resume and cover letter so the software recognizes you as someone who could be the right person for the role and shortlisting your resume for a person to speak to for the role.

So apply to the jobs your skills and experience are most suited to. The companies you apply to will be more interested and they’ll ask you to come in for an interview.

Step 3 is to apply where you’ll stand out and be noticed the most.

You can use job boards like indeed etc to apply for jobs, but don’t limit yourself to those. When you use job boards you’re competing with every other job seeker.

Recruiters and companies who have placed ads on job boards are overwhelmed with applicants and it’s VERY hard for you to stand out in such a big crowd.

A better strategy is to use Connectzapp

When you enter the details of the job you’re after, you’re given a list of the jobs that best match what you’re looking for, ranked in order with the highest matched job first.

You then swipe through each job, decide which ones you’re most interested in and then make a shortlist of the one’s you like the most.

Then you can contact those employers direct.

The best part is that the employers can see you’re a great match so they want to talk to you!

So get Connectzapp on the App Store or Google Play or go to Connectzapp.com and use it to stand out in front of employers.

If you have particular companies in mind that you’d like to work for, you should follow them on social media.

Companies do what’s called employment branding. This type of branding is to show what it’s like to work at the company.

This is valuable for you to see so you know how to prepare your application for a job working there. You can also have a conversation with the employer directly through social media.

Start to like and share the company’s posts. When you do, the company’s social media manager will take notice of you and eventually you can direct message and ask them for tips on what the company is like to work for and how to stand out in the job application process.

If you don’t think you’ll get a response, then think again. If you do this, most company’s social media managers will respond, and even get excited that you’ve reached out to them this way. Most of them will give you the help that you just wouldn’t get through other channels.

So give it a try.

A lot of applicant tracking software programs will disregard your application if you don’t fill out every field.

So make sure you do.

Even if you put something like N/A for not applicable into a field, it’s better to do that, so the software will put your application forward into the shortlist.

This will give you the best opportunity of having someone read your resume.

So to recap the 5 steps-

Have your cover letter ready. Use the 4 sentence cover letter in the main, then for the companies you feel a connection with, you the connection cover letter.

Apply to the jobs that you’re a good match for. When you do, your resume will get through the filtering process and you’ll most likely be asked in for an interview.

Use Connectzapp to make your application stand out. You’ll have the best chance of be asked in for an interview when you stand out from other applicants.

Follow the companies you’re most interested in working for, on social media.

Fill out every field so your application gets through the applicant tracking software.

This process will get you interviews, so be prepared for those too.

To get yourself ready and present yourself as well as you possibly can in the inevitable interviews you end up being asked to attend, check out some of the videos in the box below to help you answer the questions in the best way possible.

The interview questions I go through in those videos have been shown to be some of the best answers to various questions most hiring managers ask when interviewing someone, and the answers have consistently shown that they impress the hiring manager when you use them.

So to get shortlisted or get offered the job, watch those videos. You’ll be glad you did.

God luck with your job hunting!