Ask HN: How do you pass an HR online application process?

[quacked]

Short:

Do you have a reliable strategy to pass the online HR screening method and be selected for a first interview?

Long:

I have submitted perhaps 50 job and internship applications in the past 10 years, and won 4 (2 internships, 2 jobs, all well-compensated). However, all 4 times I was actually hired, I initially made direct contact with and impressed an engineering/project management team member, who shepherded me through the HR process until I was actually interviewing with someone who did real engineering/project management work.

I'm maybe 1 for 50 in terms of applying online and receiving an interview, and 3 other times I've connected with a real team member only to have my application killed off and ghosted by HR. Hiring managers who are not HR tend to like my resume and cover letters, and I perform very well in interviews.

What gives?

[PaulHoule]

Tailor the resume and cover letter to the job listing. If you cut up both of them like a ransom letter you should be able to draw lines between sentences in the job application and sentences in your application.

Often HR makes mindless mistakes that make it impossible to satisfy the requirements (e.g. they want 12 years of experience in a framework that's been around 12 months) but when this happens the hiring manager starts getting pissed at HR. The more senior you are the easier it is to bypass unreasonable requirements.

[pkrotich → PaulHoule]

> cut up both of them like a ransom letter

Loved the analogy!

[pkrotich]

I think your experience is typical... the best way to get a job is via a network referral because someone will actually look at your resume. It's not fair and almost corrupt in away - because if you're an outsider (not same region, alma mater, religion or class / cycles etc) then you end up in a pile.

It's shocking to know that recruiters / HR typically spend 6-7 seconds [0] reviewing resumes on the initial pass. This means that for you to get thier attention for a second look requires you crafting your cover letter and resume as a marketing piece to showcase your skills.

There are countless guides [0] on how to make your resume standout - something most enginners / developers think it's uncessary.

For me I look for; 1) Targeted Application - means the user actually read the job description and not simply spraying resume and generic cover letter to ANY open positions worldwide. 2) Resume format - sending a Word document is ok but please use PDF if possible - formatting and fonts are consitent for everyone and might indicate you don't care 3) Include GitHub/GitLab profile or personal site (extended resume link) - someone checking your profile means sunken cost in terms of time and always guarantees you a second / third look for sure! 4) Email address you use on your application (sexylegs@aol.com might be OG address to you but someone else might judge you for using it)

Lastly, there are things you cannot control; I saw someone mention on a video recently that putting the year you graduated can lead to age discrimination (ouch!). It's also well documented that the response rate is affected by your name [1] - which is truly heartbreaking [2]. I hope blind resumes becomes a thing.

[0] - https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/h...

[1] - https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/minorities-who-whiten-job-resumes...

[2] - Had someone apply once with a pseudo name which he also used online. It was shocking to find out later that it wasn't his real name but I understood why.

[swah → pkrotich]

A similar document that was linked a few days ago: https://blog.gingerlime.com/2020/who-doesnt-want-to-be-hired...

[muzani → pkrotich]

An alternative to a referral is a recruiter. A recruiter probably spends about a whole minute looking at your resume. They filter out the obvious crap - someone with no experience applying for a job requiring experience, people who can't show up on time, or someone who lies about going to MIT and stuff.

They're a low quality filter, but can probably remove 3/4 of the junk, and often improve your odds.

[quacked → pkrotich]

Thanks for your advice, I'll definitely take what you said into consideration when hunting for a new job.

I also wish that blind resumes were real, and it's a shame about the targeted application trend--retailoring a resume can take several hours, and redoing it over and over again feels like a waste of time.

[rozenmd]

You don't - you use your network to find a hiring manager working on something you're interested in, and talk to them. At that point, HR is a formality.