Jobs aren't hidden, you are: standing out on a public posting

Jobs aren't hidden, you are.

One of our clients recently interviewed for a VP of Infrastructure Engineering role at Docker that anyone could find on LinkedIn. It wasn't an exclusive opportunity or something sitting in a recruiter's private network. It was a public posting, and like most senior technology roles today, it attracted hundreds of applicants within a couple of days.

When we started talking about our approach, he asked a fair question: "If everyone can see the same job, how do you make me stand out?"

What happens on the other side of the table

The answer starts with understanding what happens on the other side of the table.

By the time a recruiter opens the role, they're looking at an ATS-curated queue that could easily contain a few hundred applications, sorted from best fits to worst. Recruiters typically spend only a few seconds deciding whether a resume deserves a closer look, and only a small group of candidates ever makes it to the hiring manager.

The application is where the work begins

We know that it doesn’t make sense for us to treat applications as the entire strategy (although we’re aware of peers who do; to each their own). We submit applications because that's part of the process, but that’s where the actual work begins. Ideally, we want the hiring manager to know exactly who our client is before the shortlist is finalized.

We find all the stakeholders responsible for the recruitment of the role, and reach out to them with a targeted message/email showing them how our client is a perfect fit. The resume doesn’t magically become stronger overnight, but the people hiring are made aware of a solution to the problem they are looking to solve.

You can't just keep clicking Apply and hope someone finds you. There are too many good people looking for the same jobs. Your product can not be bought if it isn’t seen, and same goes for recruitment.

The opportunity is in plain sight

I think that's the biggest misconception in today's market. People assume they're losing because there are hidden jobs they don't know about, or that if they make “that one tweak” to their resume they’ll start getting calls. From what we've seen after generating thousands of interviews for senior technology leaders, the opportunity is usually sitting in plain sight. The challenge is making sure your application survives the ATS, reaches a human being, and gives that person a reason to remember your name.

The role you're looking for is already posted. If you’re interested in cutting the queue and getting directly in front of recruitment decision-makers, book a call with us.