Ask an Expert: CEO of Simply Hired
CEO of world's largest job search engine on how to get noticed online.
Oct. 30, 2008 — -- Tory chats with Gautam Godhwani, CEO of SimplyHired, the world's largest search engine for jobs, to get his take on cutting through the clutter to get noticed in a competitive job market.
Q: The biggest complaint among jobseekers is that when submitting a resume online, it goes into a big black hole—never to be read by a recruiter.
A: It's the top frustration and generally when a fear is so widespread, it's usually because there's a great deal of validity to it. There are so many ways resumes can get lost. Companies don't respond to applicants for any number of reasons. The hiring managers aren't as diligent about following up as they need to be. It's a broken process.
Q: So what's a jobseeker to do?
A: You certainly wish that the frustration wouldn't occur. You wish that if you applied and were a good match, you wouldn't have to get through a maze. But the reality of an imperfect process is that the most persistent people win.
Q: How so?
A: They apply online and then they find a hiring manager at the company by using LinkedIn or they find a friend internally who can help them get in front of decision makers. They make the job search personal. Every letter sent out must be personal.
Q: What's the most effective way to make it personal?
A: Today there is so much information available online about companies. Glassdoor.com, ZoomInfo.com, and company groups on MySpace.com are good examples. When you can get so much detail, you can have a better shot at figuring out the best fit for you.
In the About Us section of our site, we share some distinct features about this company, one of which is that we're into haikus. Some of the most creative candidates have included haikus with their applications. They weren't just blanketing their resumes everywhere; they showed us they wanted to stand out above the noise. They made it clear they wanted to work here.
Q: Are there other ways to get noticed?
A: Have a solid online presence by creating very detailed profiles on LinkedIn and Facebook. On LinkedIn, ask people to recommend you when you think you've done a good job. With a detailed profile, you'll show up in the results when a company does a targeted search that matches your qualifications.
