How to avoid the resume pile

I read a lot of articles like ‘5 common resume mistakes’ or ‘3 tips for a great resume’, and while these are worthwhile reads, one of the best ways to maximise your chances of getting a role is to avoid the resume pile altogether. 

If you apply for a role cold (via a job ad), you’ll go into a large pile of resumes. The recruiter will skim read these to narrow it down to the handful they’ll read in detail, then shortlist further to a lucky few they’ll interview. I read somewhere that 2% of resumes make it to interview! I polled some recruiters in my network who said their first ‘cull’ of resumes sees them spending around 30 seconds on each. All that effort you’ve put in and your resume may get 30 seconds of attention. Your resume has to be AMAZING to stand out from that pile. 

You’re also up against a tougher hurdle - referrals and candidates already in their network. 

Many recruiters and hiring managers will prioritise candidates referred to them as they’re a ‘known entity’ - they’re already trusted. The risk is a LOT less than bringing a stranger into the organisation. Just like you’re more likely to try products and services recommended by people you trust over the completely unknown. We want to hear from other folks that a product is awesome – not just the company’s marketing spiel. The recommended is always safer than the unknown.  

To maximise your chances of getting an interview - you need to avoid the resume pile and be one of these ‘known entities’. How do you do this? Network, network, network! Networks have far more benefits than helping you get a job – you can learn and grow in so many ways through your network, and you can also give back to your network too. Here’s a quick guide to basic networking: 

Target your network 

• Networking can take a lot of time, so focus networking activities on relevant people and companies - you can’t network with everyone 
• Start with who you already know – colleagues past and present, people you studied with – even your friendship group - and leverage those to build new networks 
• Find some dream companies to work for and start there - go for gold! Find the people you think could hold the key to your dream role. Get introduced, attend similar events, comment on their social media, connect with them on LinkedIn. 

Build your personal brand 

• Have a niche as part of your personal brand, don’t try to be everything to everyone or you won’t stand out  
• Regularly post blogs, thoughts, videos, be active in industry groups online 
• If you’re not a confident face to face communicator, jump into industry forums and simply share your knowledge 
• These activities show you don’t just want a job but have a passion for what you do. 

  Be active in the community 

• Find relevant meetups, conferences, industry events and attend regularly 
• Don’t just turn up to events - actively network! Research who is presenting and even who is going (on MeetUp you can see attendees) - look them up on LinkedIn and work out the people you want to connect with 
• To level up - talk at events, organise them if you can! Be on panels, talk at conferences, become a subject matter expert in your field. 

  Connect authentically 

• Don’t network just to GET A JOB - there are so many other benefits of networking  
• Don’t ask ‘do you have any jobs open?’ on your first meeting. They need to know, like and trust you first 
• Find a topic of mutual interest - build a relationship that shows them your passions and skills, not that you simply want a job. 

  Nurture your network 

• Don’t just connect online and expect someone to refer you into a job  
• Actively engage your network - have regular coffees, contact them when you have something relevant to say - eg respond to a blog they’ve posted. There are hundreds of ways to connect 
• Ensure these touch points are genuine, don’t be inauthentic 
• Don’t be a stalker! If you’re not getting responses, let it go. 

When a role comes up at a company you’re interested in, you can reach out to your contacts to ask if they’ll refer you in. Many companies have internal referral bonuses. If your connections are authentic, people will refer you in anyway, regardless of any bonus – they'll know enough about you to know that you’ll suit the company and culture. This will get your resume right in front of the hiring manager and you’ll avoid the dreaded resume pile altogether. Even better, they’ll reach out to YOU when opportunities come up if you’ve made strong connections. 

Now, this doesn’t mean your resume can be terrible - you’ll still need a resume, and it has to be well written to highlight your skills. But by building strong networks and relationships, you’ve still got a better chance of getting noticed, standing out and being given the opportunity to show your true colours in an interview. 

These are the networking tips that have helped me land roles and freelance gigs without having to ‘cold apply’. What are your tips for skipping the resume queue?