The first question anyone looking for a job should ask is "How can I get my job application noticed?" Each year, companies hire thousands of people.
More importantly, they turn away tens of thousands.
Companies are overwhelmed with applications.
Most have at least ten qualified applicants for every job, and many have 35 or 40.
Many people will tell you the trick in this situation is to "stand out from the crowd", but nothing could be further from the truth.
Everything about the hiring process is designed to determine who NOT to hire.
So getting hired is more about avoiding mistakes than about standing out.
You see, most companies use software to weed through the thousands of applications they receive.
The software ranks applications based on how well they meet a set of criteria.
While those criteria can change, there are some things every company is looking to avoid.
These things will get your application rejected immediately.
Avoid them, and you've passed the first step in the process.

• Goofy email addresses.
  Hotchild92 is never going to get you hired.
  Start a special email account with a plain, professional address and use it only for job applications.
  
• Answering that you are not available for weeks or months.
  Always be available immediately.
  
• Giving a wrong or mistyped social security number.
  The SSN will be used for a background check.
  A false or incorrectly typed number will not allow you to pass the background check process.
  
• Answering "knockout questions" wrong.
  Knockouts are questions like "Are you able to perform the essential functions of this job? And "Do you have transportation?" The answer, of course, if always yes!
• Indicating that you can only work during very specific days or times.
  If they ask for specific hours and days, err or the side of flexibility.
  You can always turn the job down if it doesn't meet your schedule.
  
• Unrealistic pay expectations.
  Do some internet research to be sure your answer lines up with what people really make in the job.
  

Do Your Research Companies know exactly what they want out of the people they hire.
They do serious market research, then they create career sites to appeal to their perfect candidate.
If you spend some serious time on a potential employer's career site, there's a good chance you can reverse-engineer their picture of the perfect candidate! You can usually a link to the career site from the main company website.
They are usually in the main menu, in the "About us" section, or sometimes hidden at the bottom of the page.
Be persistent and you'll find it.
Once you're on the career site, here's what you should look for:

• Clues about the company's culture.
  Hiring managers will be looking for people who are a good fit with the company's culture.
  If you know their culture, you can portray yourself as that person.
  
• Key phrases.
  One company's website says, "We think technology should serve people, not the other way around.
  " If you express that idea (in different words) at a job interview, they'll think you're a great match.
  
• The things they brag about.
  If the company brags about community service, they probably want workers who are involved in their communities.
  If they brag about future career opportunities, they want people who will stay around a while and grow with the company

Remember, everything on the career website tells you something important about the company and who they like to hire - so everything in your application needs to show that you are a good match for them.