How to get shortlisted in Top Product Companies?

Created by: Japneet Sachdeva

Do not apply for all the jobs in one go?

Why?

Most common mistake made by aspiring candidates for finding new jobs usually sit and apply all the jobs that they can find on job portals like LinkedIn, Naukri, Instahyre, Shine, NaukriGulf, Indeed, Dice etc.

What are some issues in this approach?

Just try to understand, if a job is posted 4 hours ago and already more then 100+ candidates have applied for it (although real number might be on higher side). You can never be in Top 100, Top 50 or Top 10 candidates. Now being in Top 100 or less improves our chances to atleast get our profile, resume to be viewed by the recruiter or hiring managers.

So how to get in Top 100 candidates?

Create dynamic slots and try this technique for 1 week, you’ll get magical results. Allocate 15 to 20 mins in morning, similarly afternoon and evening. In total you are spending almost 1 hour each day for viewing and applying new jobs which are relevant for your experience.

Now after 1 week you’ll definitely get to know at what time (your local time) maximum number of jobs are posted, it does not matter which platform are using to apply. This will improve your chances to atleast get your profile viewed by the recruiters.

Note: Obviously depending upon the number of jobs you are applying you can increase or decrease the time allocation for each slot!

Let’s Tailor Your Resume!

First step, always be ready to customize your resume for each job you are applying or atleast for the one which you desire to get selected for!

Use the below prompt in ChatGPT, Gemini or with any other Gen AI:

1. “Review my resume [attached] and suggest tailored improvements for the [job position] at [company]. Identify any experience gaps and recommend online courses or projects to bridge them.”
2. “Review the Job description [attached] and suggest unique keywords which should be added in my resume to get shortlisted quickly. Also add up any essential details required to be added in resume for the role mentioned in job description”

Now moving ahead, what are the most common mistakes made during job preparations? (I have reviewed more then 650+ Resume till date)

1. If you have worked in more then 2+ organizations then only add 5 unique points describing your experience.
2. Do not repeat your work experience keywords again. Keep it unique as this will help you incorporate more keywords in.
3. Use Action Verbs like: generated, retained, accomplished etc. to describe your career summary, work experience etc.
4. Add up scale rating for your top technical & soft skills, this provides a real world preview for interviewers.
5. Add quantitative values like “reduced 35% manual efforts by creating automation for repetitive tasks.
6. Always attach portfolio links in your resume such as GitHub repos, design, xmind workflows etc.
7. Add 5 bullets in a “Qualifications” section, directly matching 5 key requirements, just under the “Professional Summary” on page 1.
8. Resume page count when your experience is less then 5 = 1

Resume page count when your experience is 5 to 10 = 2

When experience is greater then 10 then not more then 3 pages.

9. Use tools like grammarly, Gen AI for reviewing spelling & grammar mistakes

10. Make sure your LinkedIn, Indeed, Instahyre etc. job portals should contain similar details to your resume.

Crafting a Professional Cover Letter

One page is sufficient. Include your LinkedIn, GitHub, primary skills, and experience in a well-structured format. Make sure to highlight both your domain expertise and technical expertise. Make sure your LinkedIn, GitHub, resume, and cover letter tell a similar story.

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In upcoming blog, I’ll be sharing a detailed guide to build up LinkedIn from scratch.

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My ATS friendly Resume: https://topmate.io/japneet_sachdeva/496311