Surviving the Application Process
The first problem when beginning the application process is the seemingly endless routine of submitting applications and not getting any response. We’ve heard stories of people sending out hundreds of resumes with almost zero responses. This is a real issue, but fortunately for job hunters everywhere, we have the solution.
Just like in the sales process, there are tons of people in the industry who are trying the same basic methods to make sales. This mirrors the same mistake people make during the application process. Just sending out generic resumes will blend you in with all the other people fighting for the same position. You need to either make your application pop or find a different way to reach your potential employer.
Why Aren’t I Getting Interviews?
The first step in the process of upgrading your application process is narrowing down the companies you want to work for. Everybody wants to work for the largest most well-known companies. They have the luxury of handpicking only the very best talent available to them. If you are still relatively new to the industry, then your best bet is to target companies closer to your range. This doesn’t mean the big companies are out of reach forever. Keep the dream job in mind and use it as motivation throughout your career.
Just like a focused salesperson, scan the field for targets that you know you can best serve. No matter what your skill level, there is a company out there that needs you. Beginners sometimes feel as though they have nothing to contribute to a company that needs a sales rock star. What they don’t realize is that sometimes a company just needs a motivated individual with a positive attitude who’s willing to learn.
Building Your List
The best place to start when picking companies to apply to is to first find overlap. Maybe they work with a type of product you already sell or they are the type of industry you want to sell to. Find similar deal sizes, similar sales cycle times, similar decision makers that you pitch to, similar departments that you are already familiar with.
Once you pick 5 to 10 companies that fit your skills and requirements, then the real work begins. Treat this process as a sales process. You want to make a connection with a high touch approach. The best way to make a low touch approach is to simply email them a bland resume. High touch approaches can be done through a variety of creative ways.
Before you make any attempt to reach out to a potential employer make sure all of your online profiles are updated and clean. Making a good impression on someone may lead to them doing a bit of research on you. Having problems with your online presence may lead to a potential lead to go cold instantly.
Making the contract requires you to be creative and not overly aggressive. Sometimes overzealous sales, people do things like wait outside the office every day or try and trap the CEO in an elevator to make their pitch. In rare cases, these outlandish acts can work, but the chances of having the police called on you are high.
Better ways to make the connection is finding out where the company usually networks. Do they attend any weekly, monthly, yearly events? Do they target a particular community that you can become a part of? Are they active on social media?
