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Getting Seen & Beating the Applicant Tracking System

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For those of you who don’t know, recruiters at big companies don’t look at every single resume that gets submitted. In fact, the look at fewer than you may imagine.

Each time you submit your application to the great abyss (aka filling out an online form), that company utilizes an Applicant Tracking system. In this system, recruiters can tell the system what kind of applicant they are looking for. Based on key words in the job description and key words inputted by the recruiter,

HR managers will only see filtered results.

If your resume does not flag the system, the recruiter may never see your name or resume.

Beating the System- Since we know that results and profiles are filtered based on key words in the job description and elsewhere, it is now more important than ever to tailer each resume that you submit to each unique job description. By that, I literally mean that you should copy and paste key words from the job description onto your resume. For example, if the job description says “Oral and Written Communications”, instead of saying “Public Speaking”, you should say “Oral and Written Communications”.

Cheating the System– ATSs scan documents and profiles for words. No matter what color your text is in, the ATS reads it. You can probably see where I am going with this. You can literally copy and past the job description onto your resume, change the font to white, and submit that copy. The ATS will read those words and assume a very high correlation between your past experiences and that job. Of course, the recruiter can highlight the entire document and see what you’ve done. Then, he/she might be mad that you’ve wasted their time. However, you got their attention. I won’t say if I have or have not done this in the past or if this has or has not worked for me. But I will say that as more people adopt this technique, it is only a matter of time before ATSs catch on and are re-programed.

 

Keep moving Fourward,

Ash

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Learn How to Dress for Success

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When dressing for an event, interview, presentation, etc. you will probably be given 1 or 3 guidelines for dressing appropriately. These are listed below. It is also a good idea to over-dress when you are trying to impress.

Casual

Business Causal

This is where you need to start buying nicer outfits. Bring out the khakis, black pants, and business skirts. The good news is that your top can still be pretty flexible. Pair khakis with a Polo button up or even a nice blouse. Shoes should definitely be nicer flats or heels.

Boys can get away with a pair of khakis and a button-up shirt. Ties and sports coats are optional (but you probably want to bring one of them if you’re looking to impress someone).

Business Professional

Bring out the suits for this! Women can go with a matching shirt suit or pantsuit. Guys should wear a matching pant and jacket set with a tie.

*Helpful hint for the guys: Jacket should be buttoned up while you are standing and walking around. When you are sitting, they should be unbuttoned.

 

Keep moving Fourward,

Ash

 

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The Power of Snail Mail

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I know this is preached over and over– “Send a thank-you note after an interview.” But it is more than that. Although thank you notes have lost their way in our society, they can leave a lasting impression on the person you are trying to impress.

  • Length– our thank you note does not have to be long. On a regular folded card or postcard, it may be only 4-5 sentences.
  • What to say– Start out with who you are. Continue with thanking them for their time, expertise, or consideration. Then, try to stand out to your reader. Mention something specific in your letter. For example, if you are sending a thank-you note to a classroom speaker, mention something that intrigued your interest. If you were being interviewed for a position, mention something specific that you would love to work on that would be one of your responsibilities.

Keep moving fourward,

Ash
Snail Mail

Balancing College and Your Education

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One of my best college mentors and professors ended each semester with the phrase, “don’t let classes get in the way of your education”. He’s right. As our ever-changing world develops, the hard skills you learned in Computers 101 may be completely useless in 20 years.

What you learn in the classroom can give you hard skills. But chances are, employers are looking for more.

College will teach you the invaluable and transferable skills that can make you invaluable to an employer. 

They want to hire someone able to multitask, prioritize, and learn. Each of these skills are partly taught in the classroom through group projects and managing studying time, but they are mostly taught from stressing out over tests, becoming a campus leader, and challenging yourself.

Whatever you are doing in college, make sure you are always challenging yourself. You may not feel like these experiences are worth your time, but living college to its fullest will have amazing benefits.

As a task for moving fourward, I would challenge you to add a “soft skills” category on your resume made up of honest skills that you have improved on during your college experience.

Keep moving fourward,

Ash

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So, do you have any questions for Me?

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The dreaded question. You know its coming– I’ve never been in an interview without this question.

You don’t want to look like you haven’t done your research on the company or the position, but you can’t just say “No, I think you already answered all of them.” As a rule of thumb, you may want to ask about 1-3 questions to the interviewer.

YOU are interviewing the company just as much as THEY are interviewing YOU!

This part of the interview is a great time to ask questions surrounding your non-negotiables. Do they meet your requirements?
Here are some sample questions that I have asked in the past:

  • How long have YOU been working with the company?
  • Is there anything I can do after this interview to better prepare me for this position?
  • How would you describe working in this department?
  • How does my specific team’s culture differ from that of the entire company?
  • What does progression look like from this particular role?

*Bonus points if you can find a way to ask a question about something the interviewer mentioned!

All of these questions are more than the basic job responsibilities/ interview process questions (though you can totally ask those as well). They show your interviewer that you are interested in more than just doing your job, but enjoying it and possibly making a career from it.

Keep Moving Fourward,

Ash

So do you have any questions for me

3 Ways to Make the Most of Your LinkedIn Account

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Although I could create an entire blog about the ins and outs of LinkedIn, I thought I would just start off with a few ways to make your LinkedIn account really stand out.

  1. Professional Heading- For most users, this would be their job titles. However, college students probably don’t want to put “nanny,” or “Intramural Referee” as their professional heading. Your professional heading should relate to your career. For example: my heading is “Experienced Student Seeking Marketing Internship.” It says what I am in the eyes of who will be looking at my profile.
  2. Add Media- This is reallly cool. On LinkedIn, you can add media onto your LinkedIn profile. This means you can attach pictures, reports, documents, slideshows, etc. to your profile. *BOOM* LinkedIn just became an interactive online portfolio. Don’t go overboard, but putting some past photography, school projects (make sure they’re A material), etc., can make your LinkedIn profile stand out.
  3. Summary- This part is a little tricky. Others probably won’t read all of this, but it is a great way to highlight what you have done and what you want to do. Listing interests, skills, qualifications in a way that is easy to read will maximize your Summary and profile.

I hope these few pointers will help you understand the best and easiest ways to use LinkedIn!

Keep Moving Fourward,

Ash

3 Ways Linkedin

Microsoft Office Apps

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Bridging off of my last tip, Microsoft Office Lens, Microsoft has also come out with other apps that can make your life easier. These include Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook.  If you have an account with the Microsoft Cloud, you can work on the same project on different devices, interchangeably!

These apps are seriously life-savers if there is ever an emergency. For example, if you need to make a last minute change to a presentation that you’re literally about to present, need to work on a paper due tonight, but aren’t near your laptop, or if you want to send a document to someone right away- you can!

You will probably not find yourself using them everyday, but they are very helpful resources to have in a time crunch!
 
Keep Moving Fourward,
Ash

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Avoiding Decisions 101- Why Avoiding a Decision is Sometimes the Best Decision

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This past Spring, I made the biggest decision of my life. However, I don’t really consider it a big decision. It was more like a series of decisions that led to an outcome.

In exactly one month, I will be moving across the Atlantic Ocean to London. Not really moving there, though, just studying abroad for 3 months. I know that hundreds of students study abroad every semester, but I never thought I would be one of them.

I fell into the category of people who Facebook stalked friends who were abroad, wishing that was my life.

My parents would say no, the financial burden would be too much, I would miss my friends, I have a life that I love, it’s dangerous, I wouldn’t be able to graduate on time, etc. All of these negative thoughts led to no action on my part.

However, one night, I though to myself, “what if“. A simple “what if” would change my academic career and entire life going forward. I stopped planning for next semester in Milledgeville, GA and started dreaming about it being in London. In this way, I never decided that I would go.

I simply decided that I wouldn’t not go.

I put down the $200 deposit, thinking that it would buy me more time to make my decision. I met with the Study Abroad office to get more information. I asked my teachers if the credits would transfer. Looking back, not once did I decide to take the leap.

It was a series of smaller decisions that changed my reality.

Stressing about a decision, weighing pros and cons, asking for advice, etc. can only get so far. After a while, you must embrace the unknown and let your subconscious mind take over. It is in your daydreams and nightmares that reveal your true, desired fate.

 

Keep moving Fourward,

Ash

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The Rise of Snappy Casual

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I am a big believer in dressing down. Don’t get me wrong, I love dressing up and looking nice, but I believe dressing up for work each and every day gets old, is inefficient, and unnecessary. As Millennials join the work force and become corporate leaders, we will see a change in corporate culture away from black ties and toward blue jeans. In fact, large corporations such as Coca-cola and IBM have recently removed ties and added casual Fridays.

What is “Snappy Casual”? I am not really sure if this is a super common term, but I have heard it used numerous times in my college town. It pretty much means “look nice”. Leave the leggings in the closet and put on your nice pair of jeans along with a cute shirt. Do your hair and put on makeup. Look nice. Its the equivalent of casual Fridays in some workplaces.

Shoes:

Keep the shoes to simple flats or heels

Tops:

Something modest. Don’t be afraid of color, but stray away from big patterns

Bottoms:

Jeans, khakis, modest skirts, etc!

 

Keep Moving Fourward,

Ash

 

Snappy casual

Non-Negotiables – How to “Win” in Finding Work-Happiness

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I believe in the importance of holding yourself to standards. With each company and department you work in, company cultures define the workplace experience. Do people stay at a company for a couple years or a couple decades? Does the environment actively foster innovation? Is the company forward thinking in technology? What about employee benefits?

As companies work more competitively in gaining quality employees, we have the unique opportunity to choose companies based on our personal expectations. Maybe you want to work in a technologically advanced company. Or maybe you want  the ability to work up a company. Or, you may prefer working in a team environment. Want to have a mentor as a manger?

During the early stages in your career, you will figure out what environments foster your growth and help bring you happiness. Personally, these non-negotiables include working in a “community” environment that fosters innovation.

Today, I challenge you to form your own Non-Negotiables. 

Make a list of your top 3 non-negotiables that you may be able to seek out in your next employer. When you start interviewing at companies, find subtle ways to ask them about their corporate environment and be honest to the interviewers about the environment that you want to work in.

Leaders, try to create this environment for others. Try to provide the environment you want to those around you.

Keep moving Fourward,

Ash

Nonnegotiables