Written by Vaclav Koranda

Avoiding the Black Hole: How to Make Sure Your Resume Gets Seen

After applying countless times without hearing back, it can feel like your resume is vanishing into a black hole. But why does this happen—and more importantly, how can you avoid it?

So What Is the Mythical Recruitment Black Hole?

Many years ago, I felt ready for a change, but I still wanted to stay with the same company. I found an interesting job in the company’s internal career page and applied for it. Since nothing happened for a few weeks and I really wanted that job, I decided to take action. I found out the hiring manager’s identity through my professional network. It showed that a friend of mine knew her personally, so I asked him to inquire about my application and convey my interest in the role. To my surprise, she responded that she had never received my application through the internal system and requested that I send my CV directly to her. To cut a long story short, a few months later, I got the job. Without my proactive approach in finding and directly contacting her however, I would never have succeeded.

Many companies today rely on recruitment software (ATS) to streamline the hiring process. These tools can save a lot of time and money by automating routine tasks like distributing resumes, scheduling interviews, and so on. But when they aren’t properly implemented, situations like the example above can easily occur.

If you want to know how ATS systems really work, read here: ATS Decrypted: What Is Happening With Your Job Application Behind the Scenes

Still, a system glitch isn’t always the reason you might be struggling to land an interview. So what else could be getting in the way?

Your Resume Might Be the Problem

First of all, check your resume thoroughly. It amazes me how many candidates still submit resumes with poor formatting, irrelevant or missing keywords, inappropriate photos, and other basic mistakes—despite the abundance of solid advice and free professional templates available online (which, from my experience, tend to be quite reliable compared to some other job search tips).

My advice: Take your resume seriously and build it properly. Learn how here: Your Complete Guide to Writing a Perfect Resume (Plus a Free Template). If you’d like a personal review, feel free to send it to me at vaclav@getyourdreamjob.co.

You Don’t Meet Enough of the Required Criteria

There’s a trend on LinkedIn where some “expert” voices encourage candidates to apply for roles even if they don’t meet the listed requirements, claiming companies should hire based on “potential.” Unfortunately, this is misguided advice in many cases.

While this approach might work for junior positions, it’s rarely viable for more senior roles. Employers hiring at that level typically need someone who can contribute from day one; they don’t have the luxury of waiting years for potential to blossom—if it ever does. Judging potential is far trickier than assessing proven skills, and hiring the wrong person can be costly—sometimes up to two years’ salary. That’s why most companies apply strict criteria when selecting new employees.

Still doubtful? Ask yourself this: If you needed surgery, would you choose a seasoned surgeon with a successful track record, or someone who’s never performed the procedure but has “great potential”?

My advice: Apply to postings where you fulfil all the criteria, and ideally can offer a few “extras” – additional skills or experience you can bring to the company.

You’re Targeting Highly Competitive Roles

Renowned brands and large, successful multinational corporations are highly sought-after employers—and naturally attract fierce competition. These companies often receive hundreds, even thousands, of applications for a single vacancy. The sheer volume can overwhelm their recruitment systems, and in some cases, applications submitted after the first day may never even be reviewed.

My advice: Consider applying to roles with lower competition, where your profile can stand out more easily. Learn how to identify these opportunities here: How to Beat Tough Competition on the Job Market

Build Connections Inside Your Target Company

This is arguably the most effective job search strategy—but it takes time, and sometimes a small investment, like treating someone to coffee. The potential payoff, however, can be immense. Having an internal contact significantly increases the odds of your resume being noticed. If someone within the company can personally vouch for your skills and cultural fit to the hiring manager, it can make a real difference. While you’ll likely still need to go through the official application process, well-connected employees often get priority in the screening process.

In addition, internal networking gives you access to the “hidden job market” (learn more about it here: How to Craft a Winning Job Search Strategy). You can uncover roles that are never publicly advertised, receive early notice about upcoming vacancies, giving you the chance to apply ahead of the crowd. In some cases, strong internal relationships may allow you to help shape the role to fit your strengths, or even spark the creation of a new opportunity altogether. You’ll also gain a deeper, unfiltered understanding of the position: the dynamics of the team, the manager’s style, daily challenges, and the true expectations and hidden requirements beyond what’s written in the job description.

This is by far the best technique but requires time – and sometimes a bit of investment, too, such as buying someone a coffee. However, its results may be invaluable. If you have an internal connection, you have a much higher chance of getting your resume noticed. Having someone inside who can vouch for your skills and cultural fit directly to the hiring manager is invaluable. You may still be required to apply through the official process, however (well) networked employees often get priority screening. You will also be able to learn about unadvertised roles (“hidden job market” – learn more about it here: How to Craft a Winning Job Search Strategy) or upcoming openings before they’re public. You can also get a much better understanding of the role, the unfiltered scoop on the team, manager, and day-to-day realities, problems, and the real full requirements of the job beyond the job description.

Here is how to do it:

  • Leverage Existing Connections: Check LinkedIn for 2nd-degree connections (friends of friends, alumni from your school, former colleagues) working there. Ask for warm introductions.
  • Professional Associations and Groups: Join professional organizations relevant to your field. Employees from your target company might be members or attend their events.
  • Attend Industry Events: Go to conferences, meetups, or webinars where employees of that company speak or attend. Engage thoughtfully.
  • Company-Sponsored Events: Does the company host any public webinars, tech talks, or community events? These are prime opportunities to meet their employees.
  • Engage with Company Content: Follow the company’s social media pages, like, share, and comment thoughtfully on their posts. This shows your interest and keeps you updated.
  • Career Fairs: If the company attends university or industry career fairs, this is a direct way to speak with recruiters and employees.

Learn more here: The Power of Networking

Contact the Hiring Manager Directly

Contacting the hiring manager directly can help you avoid the recruitment “black hole,” create a direct connection with the hiring manager, and possibly gain an advantage over competitors vying for the same job opportunity.

On the other hand, by bypassing the official recruitment process, you risk breaching professional boundaries and potentially causing irritation among the hiring manager and recruiters.

Ever since the early days of LinkedIn, I’ve received messages from job seekers multiple times a week. Unfortunately, most of the time, their qualifications didn’t align with what we were searching for, and often, they did not even fit within our industry. I would always respond politely, explaining that there were no current openings matching their profile, and I would recommend checking our career pages for any suitable roles in the future. Only one of these interactions resulted in a successful hire. This occurred when I was searching for a trainee for my own team, and coincidentally, a recent graduate with a degree in HR contacted me, expressing interest in joining us.

All in all, if contacting the hiring manager directly can indeed yield positive results, how should you go about it correctly? Here are the most important guidelines to follow:

  1. Always apply through the official recruitment channel first.
  2. Consider direct contact as a supplementary step to support your application.
  3. Always reference a particular job position rather than simply sending your CV saying you need a job.
  4. Make sure you’re reaching out to the right individual. Ideally, you should aim to contact the hiring manager for the specific role. While you can attempt to get in touch with the recruiter, it’s likely that they will redirect you to the official application process because they might not be particularly motivated to give your application preferential treatment.
  5. Avoid sending your CV to random people within the company, including those in HR, and refrain from sending it to the HR Director specifically, unless, of course, they are also the hiring manager for the position.
  6. Ideally, establish this contact through a mutual acquaintance whom you both know well and trust. In other words, choose someone you can rely on to convey accurate information about you, and someone the hiring manager can trust to deliver the message effectively.
  7. If you don’t have anyone who can serve as a middleman, you can still attempt to send an email to the hiring manager or message them directly on LinkedIn. However, a cold contact is likely to be less successful. This approach might be more effective if you applied to a small company or a startup where formal processes may not be firmly established. In contrast, large companies typically adhere to strict HR procedures, and your efforts may yield little result.

If you’re uncertain about how to find the hiring manager’s contact details, consider checking out my book, Get Your Dream Job, for a detailed guide on this topic.

Good luck!

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Do you need my personal assistance? Simply send me your resume and a link to your LinkedIn profile at vaclav@getyourdreamjob.co and I will come back to you!

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