Landing your first traveling contract assigment can be challenging. It may seem like you have to know someone to get on a project, but that’s not really the case. If you’ve been applying and talking with recruiters, but still haven’t landed your first assignment, one of the following reasons may be to blame.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Most companies/recruiters use some version of an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) which is software that automates the administrative tasks for hiring. This can include connecting to job boards like Indeed so that applicants contact information and resumes go right into their database, parsing information from your resume, and categorizing applicants so that recruiters can easily search for the right candidates.
Technology Challenges
Technology is not perfect, and so it may be a matter of a corrupted file or a disconnect between a job board and the ATS itself — in other words, it’s possible you applied through Indeed and the resume didn’t make it into the ATS due some sort of a technology issue. It’s also possible that you applied with a file that was corrupted and no contact information made it into the ATS.
If you haven’t heard back from a recuiter, and you’re able to give the recruiters a call, then give them a call to confirm they received your resume. I’ve had candidates tell me that they applied months ago and still haven’t heard back — and when I check our system they’re either not in there at all or the resume didn’t make it into the ATS so there is no phone number or email for the applicant and the recruiter has no way to contact them. Not all travel staffing agencies allow inbound phone calls to check on applications, but many do. If possible, always call to speak with a recruiter after you’ve applied to:
- Confirm they have your resume on file
- Let them know you’re looking for an assigment and available to travel and
- Ask them what ongoing or upcoming projects you might be a good fit for
Industry & Job Specific Keywords
Another key factor in your resume getting in front of the recruiters relates to how the ATS parses your resume. This just means that the software is reading your resume and extracting relevant information out of it for the ATS. It will pull out information like your phone, email, job titles and previous employers.
If you have specific certifications for your industry that are important to recruiters, like forklift certifications or welding certifications, then you should make sure they’re listed on your resume. Take a look at your job titles and make sure the ones you’re using are correct and that they’re the common titles used within your industry.
Your Resume Isn’t Specific Enough
Make sure that your resume is specific to the position you’re applying for. In travel staffing, for example, it’s common for people to have both warehouse and manufacturing experience. But, if you’re applying for one position over the other, and you don’t have enough detail or you’ve left off a project or two in that is relevent — 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒.
𝑻𝒊𝒑: Have two versions of your resume — one more focused on warehousing and one more focused on manufacturing to make sure that all the right keywords/certifications/projects are highlighted on each one.
Experience & Skills
Most of the time, travel staffing agencies are looking for experienced and highly skilled talent, and oftentimes specific certifications are required. That’s not always the case, but it usually is.
If you find that you’re getting passed over, then your best bet is to ask recruiters for feedback on your resume to find out if you have the experience and skills needed. They’ll tell you how many years of experience they typically look for. If you don’t have enough experience in nursing, warehousing, manufacturing, etc. then your best bet is to work local entry-level assignments to get more experience under your belt. Once you’ve done that, go back and update your resume before reapplying!
When it comes to your resume and not landing that first traveling contract job… It could be any number of things, or it could just be luck and timing. Or maybe there was some kind of glitch in their system when you applied. Whatever the case may be, it’s time for you to be proactive and get creative about how you land those assignments. Figure out what companies are hiring for right now, be proactive about contacting recruiters by email and phone, make multiple versions of your resume if necessary and keep on hustling to land that first assignment.
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