I can't even get an interview!

15 Comments

1. Stephanie SJune 16,2023 at 10:39PM UTC

   Hi Jennifer,

   I wonder if it makes sense to focus most prominently on transferable skills in your cover letters - like developing source relationships, writing quickly on deadline, and targeting your writing to a specific audience. You can give examples of how you did this in the varied types of writing you do. You might not even need to mention your baseball writing experience explicitly, at least not until later in the letter.

   Another strategy is to focus on examples of your work that intersect with the coverage area in which you're seeking a job - for example, when your MLB writing also touched on social, political or fashion topics.

   Getting through the ATS systems can suck, I know. There's a free service called Jobscan that will at least give a preliminary review of your resume and how closely it matches up with the job listing you're applying for, and gives some suggestions for improving your chances.

   But the real tip for beating ATS is to network, network, network, particularly in journalism-related fields. Look up local chapters of organizations like the Society of Professional Journalists, The Freelancers Union, Public Relations Society of America, National Press Club, affinity groups like the National Association of Black Journalists/Hispanic Journalists/Asian American Journalists, etc. or National LGBTQIA Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters and Editors, etc. Attend online or in-person events if you can. Sometimes these groups even have scholarships for unemployed journalists to attend their conventions and trainings. Get on their mailing lists.

   See if any local universities with journalism or communications studies programs are holding job fairs - you might be the oldest attendee, but you never know - some of those employers might also be looking for more experienced positions.

   I hope any of this is helpful, and I sincerely wish you the best of luck!

2. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 17,2023 at 2:37AM UTC

   There is no "beating the ATS". Please don't waste your time trying to outsmart an electronic filing cabinet.

3. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 17,2023 at 2:36AM UTC

   YOU SAID: "I would love to hire a professional resume writer who could make sure it gets through the Applicant Tracking Systems that almost every company uses but obv I can afford it."

   There is no "getting through the ATS". There is also no such thing as an "ATS compliant resume" no matter how much someone wants to charge you for one.

   The ATS is essentially an electronic filing cabinet. What it does is right there in the name - Applicant TRACKING System. It's what we use to track candidates through the interview process, where we generate offer letters from.

   Flexjobs.com is a remote work job board and there are others - just google it. There are also gig job boards to check out if you haven't already.

   Please let me know if you have any questions.

4. Regina BrownJune 22,2023 at 4:36PM UTC

   I have a question, Joan? Since there is no way to "get through the ATS", how do we get someone to actually view our resume and cover letter?

5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 22,2023 at 4:48PM UTC

   Hi Regina -

   I have experience with 7 or 8 different ATS and with different configurations of those systems.

   I and every recruiter I know look at EVERY SINGLE RESUME that applies to our open requisitions. It's literally our job. And why wouldn't we? You know how happy I am when I get people applying and I don't have to go out and source candidates!

   The ATS is basically an electronic filing cabinet that stores resumes, allows recruiters to manage and track candidates through the interview process, is where offer letters are generated. It does NOT make decisions.

   There typically is no sorting involved with the application process.

   Here's what happens (on all the systems I've ever used) when a candidate applies to one of my open requisitions: I click on their name in the list of new applicants for that requisition. Their resume has not been ranked. It has not been sorted for keywords. It has not been "scored". It has not been filtered.

   I click "download resume". It downloads in whatever form - Word doc or PDF - the candidate uploaded it. I look at their resume. With my eyeballs.

   Chances are very high someone is reviewing your resume. I don't read cover letters.

   Please let me know if you have any questions.

6. Regina BrownJune 26,2023 at 5:59PM UTC

   Hmmm...that is interesting...why do jobs never call back. Am I doing something wrong? I KNOW that I am qualified...

7. lynda costaJune 20,2023 at 12:07PM UTC

   I can’t either - applying for jobs has become a black hole. It’s not you

8. Susan Grant-SuttieJune 21,2023 at 4:56PM UTC

   I have volunteered in a related area that is barely connected to my area of expertise. Through that I have been able to expand my opportunities when applying. But I have to agree with Lynda Costa and yourself, getting interviews is getting harder.

9. Maegan, Nike Sales Rep & Career CoachJune 22,2023 at 2:53AM UTC

   Hi Jen, It sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things.

   mentioning all of your interests might be "too much" and tailoring your cover letter to the particular industry you're applying for the job in could help you come across more clearly. Also, while you are applying, have you been networking in industries or with people at specific companies you'd like to work for? Building those relationships can put you as the first person they think of when jobs you want open up, even if they aren't open this second.

10. Angela BlackmonJune 22,2023 at 5:37PM UTC

    Hello Jennifer,

    I totally feel your frustration when I read your post, and describing your dilemma with the job search obviously has been incredibly difficult for you. You have every right to be frustrated! Fruitlessly submitting resumes countless times with no response, especially when you have an abundance of expertise in your field, is a drain on your confidence. You don't need that right now. Plus- with your finances depleted, that is altogether another stress-builder. Though I cannot pretend to have a surefire answer for you in this post, I can give you my prospective, and maybe it can help... I said MAYBE!

    As an artistic /creative who has been working in the administrative field (for over 14 years) just to make a living by conventional means, I am used to 'tuning out' my artistic capabilities, and 'tuning in' the employers' needs when writing resumes and cover letters. It took me awhle to perfect this, but I learned to cater ONLY to their company needs and what they want, as per the job description. Fortunately, when I first did this with little admin experience, employers hired me and I was able to gain experience in the administrative field, aside from the pursuit in a creative venue.

    If I am not mistaken, you are mentioning your niche area in writing for Major League Baseball , and the many years of experience you have in that area. The employer may think that they are not a good fit beause they feel this is a select passion for you, and they cannot help you fulfill that passion by creating content for them... Just a thought. Perhaps if you tell them that you have extensive experience in content writing, but willing to 'expand your horizons', so to speak, maybe they will be more accomodating and willing to take a chance on you, and they will get an AMAZING worker who has the capability to diversify her content writing... Do I sound like the career coach Maegan Miller? Sorry, I am NOT an expert like her. Just giving you my take on how I obtained work by giving the employers what they asked for.

    I wish you all the success you deserve! Please don't give up looking. Today, I saw Remote Content Writer jobs at Dot Dash Meredith Company. They could use your skills. Meredith is a huge publishing company that owns magazines like Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle, and others. Heck, they even own the television station in South Carolina, where I previously worked! If you haven't already, give them a look.

    Again, I am wishing all the Best! My apologies for such a long response.

11. Amy Carissa OliverJune 23,2023 at 6:37PM UTC

    This is an excellent response, and I would love to tag onto it. In cover letters, something like, "I have been writing content for print and television news for over 10 years, which requires a critical eye for detail and the ability to write professional content on a quick turnaround." If you're applying for roles as an administrative or executive assistant, "Because I have worked in the news industry, I understand that time in a precious commodity, and am able to produce professional results in shorter periods of time than my peers" and "One of my strong suits is anticipating the needs of my superiors and delivering strong results quickly."

    To me, someone who has written about MLB for a decade is really good with numbers. Someone who has worked in news is great at forming solid relationships and at building relationships and trust quickly. When applying to writing jobs, consider using the broadest terms possible that apply to the niches you're in: instead of beauty and fashion, perhaps say consumer products. Instead of MLB try professional sports and events coverage.

12. AnonymousJune 22,2023 at 7:53PM UTC

    So sorry you are going through this! It is very common now - sadly. Wish you could help. wish you lived closer and we could split my mortgage payments - helps both of us

13. Danielle MadoleJune 27,2023 at 8:21PM UTC

    Make sure you're really maxing out your network (1st, 2nd, 3rd connections on Linked In; family, friends, neighbors, college alumni groups, local resources, etc.) Think about roles that you're already qualified for and tweak your resume accordingly (and if you can write, you can do just about ANYTHING so remember you already have a superpower!) Here are some excellent resume tips from Robin Ryan and Jeff Su. I hope it's helpful and hang in there!!!

    How To Optimize Your Résumé With SEO

    Robin Ryan, Contributor

    “I’m invisible online,” said Joe, 57, a director at a large tech company. “After I send my résumé in using my computer no one is calling me for an interview. I suspect they either notice my age and decide that they don’t want somebody as old as me, or I don’t have the résumé written correctly. The bottomline is that no employer is calling me. What am I doing wrong? Can you help me improve my résumé and get discovered,” he asked.

    One of the problems when you submit your résumé online is that you don’t realize the importance of keywords and how they affect your résumé’s performance in getting found. The SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that you incorporate into your résumé is what the electronic robots are searching. They find what the recruiter requested or they don’t. In Joe’s case, they aren’t finding him at all. I took a look at his résumé and realized the problem. He doesn’t understand about how to use SEO strategies to get found.

    There are many mistakes that Baby Boomers make on their résumés that can prevent them from being discovered by a recruiter. How this all works is that the recruiter or hiring manager types in some specific words that he or she is looking for in the candidate. Typically these are things like job titles, specific work tasks or skills that are needed to do the job. The typical recruiter has over 100 résumés to search through. Often times for large companies and Fortune 500 organizations there can be hundreds of résumés that are received for every one job posted. All the initial search and streamlining of those applicants is done electronically. This allows the employer to shrink the applicant pool down to 10-20, a more manageable amount to search and review.

    PROMOTED

    Unfortunately one of the biggest complaints recruiters make is there are many people out there applying for jobs that they are not qualified for. That makes this whole process more challenging for everybody.

    Here is some advice that will help you when you’re trying to create your own SEO to optimize your résumé so that it can be found more easily by employers.

    Be Technology Ready. Most companies use employment software to handle the application process. It’s called ATS, or applicant tracking software, and is used by the employer when you apply online. The system often cannot read: text boxes, tables, color ink, photos, or see any graphics. These could be eliminated from your résumé and the space is left blank for the recruiter so they miss these things you were trying to stress. You want to eliminate these obstacles from your résumé. A clean résumé that is easy to read is essential to get through the system.

    Target the Job Title. Employers hire for a specific job. You need to make sure that the job title that you have and/or the career objective states the name of the job you’re looking for. For example, Career Objective: Nonprofit Executive Director.

    Outline Work History using Keywords. When defining your work experience outline the major job duties that you have had in that position. It is important that the first sentence captures the most important work tasks you have performed. This is because these are some of the keywords that a recruiter is likely to use when searching through the applicant pool. Be sure to address your skills and abilities to fit the exact position you are applying for. Do not generalize. You need to include the essential experience that's necessary for performing that position.

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    Resume tips from Jeff Su:

    https://www.jeffsu.org/consulting-resume/

14. Danielle MadoleJune 27,2023 at 8:41PM UTC

    Also, here are some great sites for remote work, including writing gigs: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/category/remote-career

15. Marci BryantJuly 7,2023 at 4:29PM UTC

    Write content on the subjects of interest. Publish on LinkedIn and add to your portfolio.