Employers get 100% of applications and need always resume checker. This post describes how to overcome obstacles and get a fast track to the interview.

We have the following (take an employee example):

• An inspired and happy mind;
• An accurate idea of ​​your ideal skills, experience and job;
• A personalized resume and cover letter for each position.

All of these are very important. But now is the time to get the job done. This position will show you exactly how to approach the job application process to maximize your chances of success.

Covers the following:

• Traditional methods of applying for a job;
• The right way to get your resume in front of the right people with a warm presentation;
• How to make yourself known without a warm introduction.

Let’s go.

Traditional job applications

Generally, people apply to jobs in two ways.

1. The “hope for the best” method

This is the art of submitting your resume to a candidate tracking system, filling out a ton of forms, and hopefully, everything goes as planned.

Things rarely go to plan.

You will eventually have to send your resume to an ATS- but if you really want the job, save that much later.

Only apply for work using this method if the following is true:

• You are a perfect fit for work and it would be stupid not to call
• You don’t care much about work

If you really want the job, leaving your fate in the hands of the ATS is a very big risk (at least initially). Try other methods first.

2. Direct Mail

The second most common job application involves directly emailing the most relevant person in the company with an introductory email and link to their resume.

This will result in one of the following scenarios:

• That person will love you and invite you to an interview
• You will be introduced via email to HR
• Your email will be sent to HR without a reply
• You will get a response telling you to apply in the traditional way
• your email will be taken into account.

Options 1, 2, and 3 are good. 5 is most likely unless you write a killer letter (which you must have!).

How can I directly email a decision-maker?

People always overthink this process. Remember, all you want is the job – companies want to hire passionate, motivated people. Remember that your worst-case scenario is that your email is ignored. Just do it.

Here’s how to send a direct email:

Find the hiring manager for the position (or a VP or CEO of a smaller company) through research on LinkedIn or their website

Find their email address (here’s how) and send them a perfect introductory email.

This email must be indicated:

• How can you solve your problems
• Why do you like his company
• Why are you a great adaptation to culture

Here is an example of an effective cold email.

This will be much more successful than a traditional application. However, you are still leaving a lot to chance with a direct email. If you are going to apply for the job using the “hope for the best” method, you should at least try a direct email first. Most of people use these methods. Don’t have most people.

The guaranteed way to get an interview

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

Both of the above application methods might work – but leave too much to chance. The best way to get shortlisted for an interview is to get the right people on the radar with a warm introduction.

A warm, quality presentation is your best chance of landing the job.

What is a warm presentation?

A warm introduction is an email from a trusted third party to your target contact that you introduce. It comes in two ways:

• An email from the third party in your contact with the target, with which it appears in a copy
• An email forwarded to your target contact

A warm presentation is the most powerful application method. You build trust, qualify for a suitable candidate, and separate yourself from the other candidates. Click here for more details on the hot introduction.

Asking for an introduction

1. The target contact list

• the recruiter
• The director of human resources
• The VP or CEO (depending on the size of the company)

These are all the people you need to impress in order to get the job.

2. Find a connection

Once you know the target contact – you need to find a connection.

Use LinkedIn to see how you are connected to each target contact.

If you have more than one connection to the target contact, choose the most powerful principle, but feel free to attack from different angles.

Data.com is another useful tool for finding contacts.

DO NOT send them an email. It may work for business development, but not for hire. The closer to the connection the better, but even a very loose connection is better than no connection.

Don’t be shy about asking for help – the worst-case scenario in all of these situations is an ignored email.

3. Make contacts

The next step is to use your connection to make contact with the decision-maker. Send your best connection from the following emails:

An email with a short quick introduction on why you are a great fit for the job, which includes asking if you can send your resume to be referred to the target decision-maker. When responding, send a short paragraph explaining why you are a good fit for the job with your resume attached.

Here’s an introductory email example:

Hi James, I’m moving on from my concert at KarmaHire and realized Hootsuite is hiring a growth Hacker. I helped KarmaHire increase its monthly unique user traffic from 10k to 200k with some pure hacks (including writing my own web crawler and an automated Facebook Guerrilla marketing campaign). I have some ideas on how I can increase the engagement and growth of your new Chrome Hootlet app. Here are my 2:

1) Add a link to share specific quotes when featured on web pages – ie. If you are reading a New York Times article, create a “click to Tweet” with whatever text is highlighted.

2) Add a feedback loop in the extension itself that gives an idea of ​​how it performs the last message and suggestions to optimize the next one. It can be a bit heavy – but for people who aren’t heavy web app users, it would be valuable and keep them coming back.

Growth hacking is something I love, and my plan is to be one of the fastest-growing hackers in the world in the next 2 years. I’d love to do it at …

I have attached my resume – do you think I could make an introduction to Mike if you see an adjustment here?

Better, Jim

What if you don’t have any direct connection to decision-making?

If you don’t have the right connections to decision-makers in the company, you will have to do some extra fieldwork, and an extra step in the connection loop.

• Find someone in the company who is connected to any degree.
• Research that person and find a closer mutual connection.
• Brainstorm some ways you could add value to your target contacts life.

Once you have your pitch down, follow the above process by asking for an introduction to that person through their mutual connection.

An email with a short quick introduction on why you should meet your contact, followed by “The Question” An introductory email that will be forwarded to the target connection.

Your goal is to meet that person for a coffee or a drink. Note – you need to provide a value or they have something in common, that is asking for direct advice.

Never ask someone for coffee to “pick their brain” – That’s just a waste of everyone’s time.

What if you can’t find an introduction?

I’ll challenge you to be lazy if no possible connection can be found in a company. If you really can’t find a connection, here are some more ways to get noticed.

• Attend any open event organized by the company that your target contacts are attending. Meet with them “organically”, but surprise with your knowledge of the company. Get a business card and follow up with an email. To find the events, lurk on Twitter.
• Get the features or write for any blog that is reasonably popular and mention the company name or contacts. Once your article is published, send your CEO and recruiters a link to the article via email or Twitter. Follow up with a direct email for the job application.
• If you have a personal blog this works on a smaller scale. People love to hear about how wonderful they are.
• Start an interview series on any reasonably popular blog and interview your target contacts. Take advantage of those relationships.
• If there is someone in the company with a public profile (Ie. They write a blog, write for a newspaper, or speak in public), build a relationship by approaching an article they wrote and why you liked it. Continue to correspond from time to time to come up with information that they might find valuable.

A real-life case study

The following is a full case study of Veronica, who was transitioning from a marketing/data analyst role to a small startup from a project management role in a larger company.

The company was looking to fill the role of a project manager. Veronica is a very impressive person, but she didn’t have any experience in this field.

Veronica did some research and discovered that the former CEO of hers (for 2 jobs) was very well connected with Carrie, a lead project manager at the new company. She sent Ken an email asking for an introduction to Carrie. Ken delivered. Veronica quickly followed.

That warm introduction (plus some very solid references) helped land the job after an extensive interview process. Get started now You will notice some common themes here. If you are constantly growing your network, your relationships and your skills – every job search becomes easier. The best time to maintain and grow your relationships is when you don’t need them.

The other key point is to always deliver great work and stay on good terms with people. The world is too small to have a bad reputation.

With this in mind, go get that job!