What is whitefonting, how to secure a follow up interview, and more!

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Whitefonting: What is it and why you shouldn’t do it

I’ve seen this tactic being recommended by a number of so-called ‘career experts’ around social media.

So what is it?

Well, white fonting is a tactic used by some job applicants to get their resumes noticed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). ATS is a software application that many companies utilize to handle recruitment needs. It helps in filtering resumes by scanning for specific keywords and phrases that match the job description.

Here's how white fonting works

An applicant might include certain keywords or phrases in their resume that they think the ATS is looking for but may not actually be relevant to their experience or skills.

To hide these words from human eyes, they would use white text on a white background, effectively making them invisible. However, the ATS may still pick up these keywords, increasing the chances that the resume passes the initial screening.

While this may seem like a clever way to get a resume noticed, it's a practice that I strongly discourage, because it’s a deceptive and will almost always be detected. If detected (and many modern ATS systems can detect this tactic), it could lead to immediate disqualification from the application process.

An ex-Google recruiter says you need to do this one thing after the interview…

If you guessed “follow up”, you’re right. It’s a simple premise that so many job seekers seem to miss.

When Nolan was working for Google, he indicated that the candidates that followed up with him after the interview were far more likely to get a second interview than those that didn’t.

When’s the best time to follow up?

Don’t wait long. You should send a quick email to your interviewer within 24 hours of the interview.

What do you actually write in your email?

This is where some people get stuck in the land of the generic. Please, please, please, be thoughtful about what you say.

✅ DO THIS

• Thank your interviewer for their time and consideration. Be genuine and try to reflect on a specific part of the conversation you enjoyed.

• Restate why you are interested in the position and how you feel your skills align with the company's needs. Reference specific details from the interview to make it more personalized.

• Address Any Outstanding Issues.If there were any questions left unanswered or areas where you felt you could have provided more information, briefly address those points. This can show your attentiveness and eagerness to clarify any uncertainties.

• Recap how you met key qualifications of the job.

❌ NOT THAT

• Use Overly Informal Language: Maintain professionalism, and steer clear of slang or overly casual expressions.

• Be Long-Winded: Keep your message concise; avoid lengthy, rambling content.

• Include Negativity or Complaints: Stay positive and refrain from expressing dissatisfaction with any part of the interview process.

• Sound Overly Pushy or Desperate: Show interest, but avoid coming across as aggressive or overly eager.

• Send Multiple Follow-Up Emails: One follow-up email is sufficient; multiple emails may be perceived as pestering.

• Allow Typos or Grammatical Errors: Always proofread to avoid careless mistakes.

• Discuss Salary or Benefits: Unless it was part of the interview, leave these topics out of the follow-up email.

• Use a Generic Template Without Personalization: Make sure to include specific details from your interview.

• Include Unnecessary Apologies: Focus on positive aspects rather than dwelling on or apologizing for perceived mistakes.

• Demand a Response: Use courteous language, and avoid anything that might be interpreted as demanding or entitled.

• Include Personal or Irrelevant Information: Stick to professional details relevant to the position.

• Copy Multiple People Without Reason: Send individual emails or have a clear reason for including others in the email.

• Ignore the Company Culture: Align your email with the company's tone or culture without sacrificing professionalism.

Tidbits from around the web…

• Finishing up your internship? Here’s how to get an offer from the company for a permanent full time position, according to a former intern at Goldman Sachs.

• 5 Ways to build your career strategy on LinkedIn.

• 5 jobs that won’t get eliminated by AI

Answer to this week’s joke…

Beef jerky 🤣

About the Author

I’m James, Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. I’ve been in the career consulting space for 13 years, and before that, I was a recruiter for AECOM.

I’ve helped thousands of job seekers, from industries like software engineering, IT, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and more generate job opportunities through well-written resumes that translate unique backgrounds into coherent narratives.

If you’re struggling with your resume for whatever reason, reach out - I just might be able to help!

If you’re more of a DIY person, then check out Resumatic, my free-to-try resume builder.