How to Secure an Interview with Guru (Just Through Your Application)

No matter what state the job market is in, finding a new role can end up being a job in itself. For most, it’s a numbers game: spending all your spare time applying so you get as many applications out as possible in order to get the most return. But what if it doesn’t have to be that way?

Hear me out. What if you put more effort into a select few jobs that really speak to you/appeal to you? As they say, “quality over quantity”.

In fact, that happens to be one of our hiring philosophies at Guru: intentional hiring (despite being in a high-growth phase of a start-up). That's why I want to give people an inside look into hiring at Guru for all the interested candidates out there who want their shot!

We are all busy people, right? Talent acquisition teams are no different. There are roles to open and people to hire! Because of this, recruiters and hiring managers only have a handful of seconds to give to each application - mostly scanning resumes for keywords along with the two most recent job titles and their functions.

We have the unfair task of (essentially) judging a book by its cover. Basing our decision to accept or reject someone on a piece of paper that is supposed to represent all that a person can offer to a company? Crazy stuff.

At Guru, we try to dig a little bit deeper before making that decision by curating application questions specific to each role. But the key to changing a reject to an accept is intentional applying!

Intentional applying is not just answering application questions with heart and soul, it’s the whole kit and kaboodle. Your resume, cover letter, AND application questions.

Pretend you’re us, what would we want to see on a resume? Start with what I shared in the previous paragraph: keywords and most recent jobs. Take a look at the job post for some keyword inspiration. What are the skills that you possess in relation to the role?

These should be easily discoverable, perhaps at the top or in a side column of your resume. This becomes particularly helpful if you haven’t yet worked in the specific role before or are looking to make a career change (both of which are highly supported by Guru). Remember, soft skills need to shine even brighter when hard skills are lacking.

Next is your experience. I can’t stress enough how important it is to share each job title, company, month/year dates, and job responsibilities. Sounds obvious, I know, but you wouldn’t believe the information people miss. Anything less than the start month/year and end month/year appears fishy.

We also can’t (and won’t) assume what you did in each role, so be descriptive. After you’ve handled that, fill in the rest with what a resume should include like education, volunteer work, awards, mission statement, etc. Paint us a picture!

I ALWAYS recommend that applicants submit a tailored cover letter. Not only is it a creative manifestation of your interest in us, but it also gives you a chance to show some of your personality! Adding a sprinkle of you in a good cover letter goes a long way against the competition. Do some research on the company (15 minutes max - you’d be surprised how much you can learn in that short amount of time) and drop a few lines in your cover letter. Most importantly: Sell us on you!

When answering application questions, take your time and do some soul searching. We created them with intent, so we hope for answers with intent! One of them addresses the folks who might not have all the required experience:

“If you don't think you meet all of the criteria in the above bullets but are still interested in this role, please apply and elaborate on your qualifications in the field below. Nobody checks every box, but we're looking for someone excited to join our team as we learn and grow together.”

This is your chance to fill in the gaps and explain how you are still a great fit. Tell us what we need to know!

Put a tailored resume, persuasive cover letter, and passionate app responses in a pan, bake at 350º for an hour and what do you have? AN INTERVIEW REQUEST!

The rest is up to you. No matter what, always be yourself. We love authenticity. Be passionate and tell a story (we love a good story). We only hire people we admire here at Guru, and I hope this blog serves as a source of inspiration during your job search.

Are you ready to put what you learned in this post to the test? Browse our open positions and start applying, we can’t wait to hear from you!