Ronda Suder 
Want to land the job interview? Follow these tips.
Securing a job interview comes with all sorts of trials and tribulations — not to mention the range of emotions that accompanies the process. When you consider job-interview statistics, it can discourage even the most confident job seekers.
However, you don't need to be a “lack of success” statistic. Instead, read on for tips on how to land a job interview to be the one candidate (out of the average 250 per position) to land the job.
1. Write a resume that stands out
To be one of the 25 percent of applicants that make it past a company's hiring software, make sure your resume is current and ready to submit when relevant, open positions pop up.
And before you hit the send button, be sure to tailor your resume for the job you're applying to, optimizing it to pass the applicant tracking system. You also want to ensure you're appropriately highlighting the right accomplishments and experiences using a modern resume template and professional layout for your industry and level of experience.
2. Network
One of the number one ways to land a job interview is to know someone who can refer you. This means you have to network.
Attend networking events to forge professional relationships. Reach out to contacts and connections on LinkedIn to let them know what your job interests are, while also building your network of contacts who work for the companies you're interested in. Email friends and family to let them know you're in the market for a new job, as well.
Once appropriate, you can then request referrals from your network, which will help you get one foot in the door.
3. Build your online professional brand
Showcase your knowledge and skills by establishing your online professional brand. A good starting place? Update your LinkedIn profile so that it is current and represents who you are as a professional. From there, create a personal website to highlight your work accomplishments or launch a professional blog if relevant.
Some additional ideas to showcase your expertise online include guest blogging on an industry site, getting a professional article published, landing an interview on a professional podcast or radio show, or hosting your own professional podcast or video blog.
4. Apply as soon as possible
Your chances of landing a phone screen or interview decrease substantially 72 hours after a job is published. If you find a job posted online that you're interested in and would be a good fit for, apply as soon as possible.
5. Clean up your social media
Once your resume lands on a hiring manager's desk, there is a good chance they'll conduct an online search for your name. You don't need recruiters or hiring managers finding your personal social media pages and drawing conclusions about whether or not they want to interview you.
Even if your posts are not controversial, it's still best to err on the safe side. Any personal relationships you might wish to forge with co-workers or hiring managers outside of the workplace are best developed after you've landed the interview and job.
Set the visibility on your personal social media accounts to private, creating parameters for tagging, posting, and sharing of content from and to your pages.
6. Be willing to reach out
If you know who the recruiter or hiring manager is for an open position of interest, give them a quick call to let them know you've applied for the job. Keep it short and brief, sharing that you'd love the opportunity to discuss your work experience and find out more about the organization's needs during a job interview.
7. Stay in the know
Set up job filters and regularly scan job-board apps and websites to find open positions that fit your criteria. It's also an excellent idea to set up job alerts for employers of interest, so you know when they're hiring.
8. Get certified
While waiting for that perfect interview to come along, consider acquiring new skills or getting certified in an area that will add value to your resume to impress the companies you'd like to work for. There are numerous online resources that offer short-term courses, including certifications, for a low cost or even free.
9. Keep track of your applications
It's not uncommon for job seekers to submit several applications — and then forget which organizations they've submitted to. Instead, you want to target your job search to specific organizations and positions that genuinely interest you and then keep track of them.
Recruiters often trash resumes of applicants who've applied to several of their open positions, so try to avoid applying to the same company over and over again.
10. Set goals
Setting goals can help reduce the potential stress one feels during the job-search process. Taking into consideration some of the other tips included here, create some parameters around how much time you're willing to commit to the job-search process each day or week with the number of jobs you would like to apply for within a certain timeframe. Also, consider the timing of when you'll have your marketing materials ready, setting goals for networking and reaching out to contacts around this timeline.
Use these tips to develop a job-search strategy that ensures you land a job interview. With the right blend of preparedness — and a little bit of luck — opportunities will present themselves.
You got the job interview — congrats! But are you ready? Our interview coaches are here to help!