The secret sauce to spice up any job application is research.
Take a moment and think about any open job posting. The hiring manager is more interested in understanding how you can solve his problem than in knowing what you did in some company 4 years ago.
If you can convince him that you know the challenges with this role and can demonstrate that you have what it takes to overcome them, you will automatically become valuable to the hiring manager.
And that’s what prior research can help you with.
How to go about doing this research?
Here’s a simple framework:
Google the company, and check for the latest interviews given by the CMO, CEO, or founders. Try to reach out to senior folks in the company to talk to them.
- Identify pain points for the company.
- What are their immediate growth goals?
- What are their challenges?
- Who are their consumers?
Each hiring manager has a specific set of pain points that he/she is trying to solve for using a hire.
Next, read the JD. Use a tool like ResyMatch.io to scan the JD for keywords, and ensure those keywords are present in your resume.
Use the data points from your research to customize your resume and cover letter to solve the hiring manager’s pain points.
That’s the way to ensure your job application has a higher chance of making it through the cut.
