7 Gems to Increase Your Chances of being Interviewed
If you're frustrated because you've been sending out your resume to at least 20 jobs a day and still no interviews. It sucks, I get it. After years of looking at job submissions, I want to drop 7 gems to increase your chances of getting called in for an interview.
💎1. Every Resume tells a story, what does your resume say about you?
Contrary to popular belief, getting a job in a competitive field like entertainment is NOT a numbers game, whereby the more portals you submit to, the more likely you are to be hired. It’s been my experience that the more jobs you apply to without an interview, the more depressed you will get. If you haven’t been called in to interview, you may need to refresh your resume. Make sure that you are telling a cohesive career story. If you are in doubt about how your resume stacks up to the competition, you might want to schedule a 40-minute Mock interview & Resume Review with me.
💎2. Have the experience required (or close to it)
When a job says "1-2 years of agency experience required" sometimes that means "assistant” agency experience, but if you were a “floater” or “summer intern,” I'd count that time too and apply. You at least have familiarity with how an agency works, so feel free to shoot a little higher than your current experience level.
💎3. Use the exact language from the job description in your cover letter and quantify it if possible
If a job posting says they need someone who can use "Kajabi, Mailchimp and Squarespace," then make sure to say something along the lines of...."In my last position, I helped the company increase their Mailchimp subscribers by 50% and created a new website with Squarespace (insert link.)"
💎4. Create a one-minute video cover letter.
Did you know that 40 people from the My Grads community have gotten hired at The Ellen Show and 90% of them did it with a video cover letter? You can see energy and vibe in a way that typical cover letter can't convey. It's where you can show your unique personality, energy and stand out in all the right ways! So if there is an option to upload a video to your application, I most certainly would!
💎5. If your experience isn't aligned with the job, make a case as to why you should be considered in your cover letter or video cover letter.
Say you want to work in reality TV and you see an open position to work as an PA at Evolution Media logging footage and working with the editors, but your experience is in costuming. What are you going to do?
You have to make a case for yourself and show how your skills could be an asset. the cover letter is the place to do it:
"I've interned at XX costume house keeping accurate track of sizing, pieces shipped and outstanding, shows we have accounts with and more. My major was in production and I am eager to work in reality TV and will bring my extensive knowledge "The Real Housewives" franchises to this role. I can expertly archive footage and tag scenes accurately. I'd never confuse Tamra for Shannon and I know Ericka Jayne is in BH, not OC."
I'd give this person a chance to interview for sure!
💎6. Best time to find an entertainment job is when you don’t need a job.
While you are waiting for your ideal entertainment job on a film set, TV production office, agency or management company, be employed at service job like Starbucks, a restaurant or the front desk at a gym. You will be a more attractive candidate if you are already working. It shows that you already know how to be responsible and deal with customers.
💎7. Write a fresh cover letter for every job and keep it short as suggested in this blog.
I can always tell a template, especially when the applicant forgets to replace key elements such as the date, role or company etc.... But beyond the basics, it reveals laziness. Nobody will hire a lazy person. So make sure to customize your cover letter to each specific job and why you are uniquely qualified to get it.
**If you are looking for a complete system to help you Get Hired in Hollywood, upgrade your Substack subscription to “Founding Member” and get access to the 8-hour replays of my course that will help you clarify your career vision, refresh your resume, create a video cover letter and gain all of the strategies to network naturally.