So you’ve been looking for a new role in your professional career and you’re hitting a wall. If you’re applying for job after job online and not even getting an interview, then you should know that it’s probably not you… but the system. We’re going to let you in on a little secret… applying for jobs online is like playing a slot machine at a casino. The odds of you “winning” or getting an interview or even the job are slim to none… like at the casino. When the odds aren’t in your favor, why waste your time? Don’t believe us?
Well, here are the reasons that applying online won’t work more often than you think it would. We’ll also explain why your time is better spent working with professionals with direct experience in your profession such as Apogee Resources Group to find the right opportunity for you versus applying directly to a company on-line. This also includes staffing agencies with a team of “headhunters” who never spent a day actually working in your profession that also posts a lot of positions on their websites and various job board that create false hope.
1. When You Apply Online the Decision Maker May Never See Your Resume
Every job has someone that you’ll end up reporting to. When you apply for a job online, that person may never even see your resume. Often times, the decision maker is far removed from the actual posting of the job. They’re not filtering through the resumes and scheduling job interviews, someone in HR is. This person may even quit or not be at the company when you end up going in for your interview. The process of applying blindly online can often take longer so things can change at the company during the process.
2. Your Resume Often Gets Lost in the Shuffle
When you apply for a job online, you’re throwing your resume into a giant bin of other resumes. Often times, job posts have certain keywords that they’re looking for within your resume. If yours doesn’t contain the specific keywords, then your resume will get tossed into the “do not review” pile. When applying on a career site, you’re putting in work to submit your resume. This is ultimately wasted if you don’t have 1 or 2 words on your materials that would “qualify” or make you acceptable for the job. Seems silly, right?
3. You May Get Disqualified by Something as Silly as Formatting
Resume sorting software on career sites can disqualify your resume for mere formatting issues. This can disqualify you from a position that you would otherwise be great in. These factors are often input into this software by someone who doesn’t know the inner workings of the accounting and finance worlds. In this scenario, your resume won’t even be seen by anyone who has the knowledge of what the role will be doing in-depth.
4. If You Get an Interview, You May Find During it that the Job Isn’t What it Seemed Online
So you got the interview, you’re in right? Wrong. Just because you have the interview doesn’t mean you’re going to want the job based on what you learn DURING the interview. Often times, when you go in for the interview you’ll learn of variables that will make you not even want that job. The interview (and taking time off from your current job) will have been a giant waste of your time. A true strategic resource in your career advancement has direct experiences in your profession and now utilizes their expertise in your profession to help others in the profession.
A strategic partner utilizes their direct experiences in your profession to most effectively gather and understand the most important and “critical” details of a job to then help you assess the opportunity beyond what you see in a written job description before you commit to an interview. You’ll then know whether or not the investment of time to interview for a role is a good investment of your time up front before committing to an interview. We can help to assess and ensure that the job you’ll be interviewing for is in line with what your career goals are.
Common Issues That Often Come up During an Interview:
· The salary is not in line with your expectations
·The title and responsibilities don’t line up where 75% of your efforts may be on the two or three bullet points of a job description that is the least appealing to you
·The person who you would directly report to just left the company, and you won’t get to meet who you’ll end up working for during the interview
· Several people in the role you’re interviewing for have quit in the past year due to the organization’s culture, a difficult boss, lack of job security, and/or a number of other variables
5. Why It’s Beneficial to Work with a Professional Services Firm When Looking for a New Role
When you work with a recruiting firm whose entire team possesses direct experiences in the career opportunities that they are representing to you such as Apogee Resources Group does, you’re getting a true strategic career partner and resource. We truly know your profession, will listen to you, and can help you thoroughly assess every potential opportunity. We are 100% focused on your success and look for career advancement opportunities that align with your interests and overall career aspirations.
Learn more about the importance of building a strategic partnership with a firm that comprises of a team of professionals who have worked directly in your industry such as our accounting/finance team and why to avoid “headhunters” at a staffing agency by reviewing our website.
In part, a great strategic partner such as our team will be sure to do the following:
- Help you to make sure that your salary requirements are in line with what the company is offering for the position’s salary range
- Make sure that the responsibilities listed for the role are in line with what you’ll be doing in that role on a day to day basis
- Get you in front of the decision makers for that particular position at the company
- Get you an honest answer on what the culture of the organization is like
- Help you to best assess and understand what your work/life balance will be at the organization
- Assist you in understanding what the opportunities are for growth within the company
- Many other variables to help you assess the company and overall opportunity that you cannot see by simply applying to a job posting directly or through a “headhunter” from a staffing agency that is trying to hit their own quota or metric versus a focus on what is in your best interest.
Ultimately, applying for a job online is a lot like going into the casino and playing the slot machines. You’ll get teased, but you’ll most likely never win the jackpot. When you’re looking to get a new role, make sure that you’re continuing to do a good job in your current role and that you’re also maintaining your personal life.
This is where a strategic partnership with a professional services firm that has an entire team of professionals with direct experiences in your profession adds tremendous value to your career advancement search. We’ll help maximize your time in your career change efforts. Our team can help you to pinpoint opportunities that will lead you to the right career advancement opportunities for you.
At Apogee Resources Group, we are your career advancement solution. Schedule an initial meeting with our team, our goal will be to listen to and understand your professional experiences to date and where you want to go in you career. We’ll help you get there by ensuring that the next step in your career is the right opportunity for you. Let us help point you in the right direction to get you on the path to a successful, enjoyable long-term career!