3 interview hacks that 90% of job seekers miss

🇨🇦 Immigration updates:

1. Apply to the hiring manager, not the job posting

Last month, our client Sarra applied to 20+ marketing roles through company websites. Zero responses. Then she tried something different with us: we found a handful of marketing directors at Toronto tech startups on LinkedIn - we tried to optimize for the industry she has most experience in. Sarra sent a short message about how she'd helped her previous company reduce customer acquisition costs by 40%.

3 hiring managers replied by the end of the day inviting her to an initial chat. No resume, just sheer research and focus on impact. Why? Because Sarra reached a human being instead of an algorithm, and she led with value instead of need.

Here's the reality: 73% of job applications never reach human eyes due to ATS filtering. But hiring managers are real people with real problems they need solved. When you message them directly with a specific solution, you're not just another resume, you're a potential answer to their headache.

Here’s the script that works: "Hi [Name], I noticed [Company] is expanding into [specific area]. I helped [Previous Company] achieve [specific result] in a similar set up. Would you be open to a brief conversation about how my experience might help your team?"

2. Showcase work, don't just describe it

Here's what we’ve noticed after sitting in on dozens of hiring meetings: managers don't care what you were responsible for. They care what you actually accomplished. Yet 89% of resumes we see still read like job descriptions instead of success stories.

Take our client Marcus, an Account Manager who was getting zero interviews. His resume said "Managed client accounts and maintained relationships." Just like 100s of other Account Managers. Then we helped him rewrite it to show impact: "Grew assigned accounts by 45% over 18 months, retaining 96% of clients while expanding average contract value from 5 to 6 digits". He did the same job as 100s of other Account Managers,, but now he tells a story of results.

Your action plan: Create a simple one-page portfolio showing 2-3 projects with measurable outcomes. Include screenshots, before/after comparisons, or process improvements you implemented. This works for everyone—accountants, project managers, even customer service roles.

Example: Instead of "Managed social media accounts," show "Grew Instagram engagement 340% in 6 months" with actual post screenshots and engagement metrics.

Note from Anna: We're building something that will help you extract achievements and accomplishments you’re proud of - sign up here

3. Turn networking into interview practice

We watched our client Omar fail three interviews in a row. He knew all the standard interview questions by heart, but when they asked a personal question and his opinion on the current trends, he went blank. The problem was - he prepared to answer questions instead of being himself and doing research on the business.

When the next interview came, we dug deep into what the company did and their challenges together with Omar. He noticed they had recently expanded into Western Canada but were still sourcing from Ontario suppliers. In the interview, instead of giving generic answers about his experience, Omar focused everything on their expansion challenge: "I see you've opened distribution in Calgary. Based on my experience with cross-country logistics, I'd probably look at diversifying suppliers closer to that market to reduce both transit costs and delivery times."

Guess what? He got the job.

Note from Anastasia: In the last 3 months, we've helped 8 job seekers pass more interviews using these exact strategies. The biggest mistake we see? Focusing on what YOU need instead of what THEY need to solve.

We’re beginning to run bi-weekly cohorts to help active job-seekers gain clarity on your strengths, build a selling resume and show up at interviews strategically. Check it out!

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