Ballista

How to Get Your Resume Seen by Hiring Managers

Filters reject over 75% of resumes before humans see them. LinkedIn Easy Apply will not save you. It leads to the same dead end.

The Resume Black Hole

Tracking systems are not your friends. They cut through resume piles to shrink them for tired recruiters. Most candidates get tossed away fast.

A 2021 Harvard study showed filters reject 75% of resumes before humans see them. Reasons include missing key words or bad formats. This is by design.

You will never know why you got rejected. Was it a missing skill word? Or a font the system could not read? The filter ignores your potential. It just follows a list.

Why Automated Filters Reject Resumes
  • Format issues (tables, columns, headers)
  • Bad file types or broken PDFs
  • Missing exact keyword matches
  • Job gaps flagged by the system
  • Tagged as "too qualified" at senior levels
  • Random rules set by recruiters
  • Too many applicants, so random picks happen

The Easy Apply Trap

LinkedIn Easy Apply seems like a quick way. One click sends your app. But it is not a real shortcut.

Sometimes Easy Apply skips filters. Sometimes it does not. Even when it works, you face 500+ other apps. Everyone else clicked it too.

That one-click ease makes you blend in, not stand out. It tricks you into thinking you have made progress. You have not. Your resume gets lost in digital clutter.

Ballista cuts through the noise by sending a physical application to hiring managers. No clicks needed. Just real impact.

Resume Filter Myths vs. Reality

Myth: Just use the right keywords
Reality: Keywords help, but systems also reject for format, file type, job gaps, and hidden filters.
Myth: Simple formatting fixes everything
Reality: Even perfect formats get rejected. The system filters, it does not find talent.
Myth: Easy Apply bypasses filters
Reality: Sometimes it does, sometimes not. Either way, you are buried under tons of one-click apps.
Myth: More Easy Apply means better odds
Reality: Clicking apply on 100 jobs a day floods the system. Senior roles do not work on volume.
Myth: Pay for resume optimization services
Reality: These services often fail. You can optimize well and still get filtered for hidden reasons.

The Only True Way Through: Physical Mail

You cannot optimize your way through a system built to reject you. The best bypass is to skip the system. Mail your resume straight to the hiring manager.

No Digital Gatekeepers

Physical mail goes straight to a desk. No algorithms. No filters. No auto-rejection.

90%+ Open Rate

Business mail gets opened. Your resume is not lost with 500 others in an inbox.

Direct to Decision-Makers

Address it to the hiring manager, not the "Recruiting Dept." It lands where it matters.

Shows Serious Intent

Sending physical mail shows you are smart and willing to go the extra mile.

How to Get Seen with Ballista

1

Upload Your Resume

Drop your PDF. We print it on 90lb premium paper.

2

Find the Decision Maker

Enter the company, hiring manager's name, and office address. We can help find this info from a job posting URL.

3

Add a Cover Letter

Write your own or generate one automatically. Personalized to the company and role.

4

We Print and Mail It

Professional application, premium paper, USPS First-Class mail. Arrives in 5-7 business days. Optional certified tracking.

75%+
Resumes rejected by automated filters before human review
90%+
Physical mail open rate
$10
Starting cost for a Ballista application

Stop Spinning Your Wheels

You know online systems fail for senior jobs after trying them. Want to skip the noise? Let Ballista send your application to a real desk.