Secrets of the Corporate World, REVEALED!
Okay, here's that thing I wrote up that I was talking about in the last post.
How Not to Get Hired
I work for a corporate recruiting firm. No, I'm not the fancy pants corporate recruiter; I'm just a mere lowly internet researcher. But! I *am* the first line of defense that all candidates must pass through before even being considered on the list for a job. I'm the one who weeds through the emails and resumes before passing them along to my bosses for further winnowing. And that's waaaay before the company ever even knows you're alive, much less calls you in for an interview.
First, you have to get past me.
[Insert horrible scary dragon pic]
I have, over the past couple of months, learned how to skim through the dozens of emails we get every day to figure out which ones are worth passing on and which are not. And, believe me, the vast majority are not.
Here's why you may not ever get that dream job:
1.The company already has a candidate (or two) whom they love, and now they no longer care about looking for more, no matter how wonderful your resume is. Or the company decided to go with another recruiting firm. Or they promoted internally. Or they decided the SVP's cousin's roommate's boyfriend was perfect for the job.
2.The company decided they can't really afford the position. Or that they want to wait before creating it. Or that they want to change the parameters of it. For some reason, the job does not technically exist anymore.
3.The company has some sort of weird restrictions on the position that we didn't/couldn't put in the ad. Maybe they don't want someone from the automotive industry. Maybe they only want people from Companies X,Y, and Z because they make similar products. Maybe they're willing to relocate if necessary but prefer someone local.
4.Your resume was unreadable due to formatting issues. Or, at least, difficult to read. If there are no spaces or it has three words on each line I'm not going to struggle through it. Whether you're attaching a file, including it in the body of the email, or uploading it to a website, double-check that people can read it easily. Otherwise it'll be deleted straight off the bat.
5.Similarly a plethora of typos in your resume and/or cover letter will cause me to chuck it. It makes you look unprofessional and can also come across as uneducated.
6.Your salary range is not in the range we're looking for. Not by a mile. If you're making $60K and it's a $120K job, I'm going to toss you aside. You probably either work at a much lower level or at a much smaller firm, and that means you don't have the experience we need. Conversely, if you're an EVP making $175K, you're not likely to accept a manager position at $85K.
7.Your salary range is huge: over a $100,000 spread. If you say that you want a salary between $75,000 and $200,000, I'm going to assume that the low end is what you're expecting-and possibly more than you're worth. You should know how much people with your job (or desired job) are making. Unrealistic estimates of your own worth make me think that you're exaggerating on the rest of your resume.
8.Unprofessional cover letters. Yes, it's email. No, that does not mean that you should include emoticons, multiple exclamation points, chatspeak, or most sigs. Please, type something in your cover letter, but make it brief and professional.
9.Filling your cover letter and resume up with significant quotations, business mantras, buzzwords, and multiple paragraphs about your corporate philosophy. I just need to know the basics about your experience and education here. The harder you make it for me, the less likely I'll persevere. Also, it comes across as pretentious filler to make up for a weak resume.
10.Similarly, I don't need to know all about your personal life. Languages spoken, time spent living and working in foreign countries, and professional organizations joined are informative to me. Knowing that you are blonde, have a golden retriever named Bruce, and enjoy watching foreign films are not. While they may tell me more about you as a person, these details are more suited for phone interviews with the recruiter.
11.Excessive job movement. Most companies prefer at least two years at each company; some prefer longer than that. Obviously, that's not always possible due to moves, company reorganizations, bankruptcies, etc. If so, a line in the resume telling why you left the job is helpful. Of course, if you haven't lasted longer than a year with any company for the past ten years, then no excuse will probably be good enough for them to hire you.
12.Similarly, long stretches of time unemployed. This again depends on the circumstances: economic conditions, pregnancy, relocation, family illnesses, etc. should all be noted on the resume. But if you've been out of work for several years, don't be surprised if a company is leery. You won't know all the new technology, processes, or companies, and you might be tempted to take a long-term hiatus again.
13.Your cover letter says that you're a perfect fit for the job! But your resume doesn't really show how. Maybe what you say is true and you do have experience purchasing motors or setting up company blogs. But if you're using StandardCindySmithResume.doc for every position you apply to, it may simply say that you worked at Jones Company for three years and reduced the budget by $50,000. Somewhere (in the cover letter or resume or both) you need to highlight the specific parts of your previous jobs that apply to the position you're seeking. Mentioning “While at Jones Company I purchased refrigerator motors for 100,000 units each year” or “I started and maintained the company blog for Jones Company, which can be seen here” makes my job much easier-and your chances much higher.
14.You obviously didn't even glance at the job posting before you sent in your application. If we're looking for a National Account Manager for a tool company, and you send in a resume with your most senior position being assistant store manager at McDonald's, I will trash your resume. These aren't entry-level jobs. Stop wasting my time.
15.You don't match the requirements for the job. Period. I don't think we've ever had more than ten requirements for a job (usually more like five), and they are all very straightforward. There is generally some leniency for education if you don't have the level of degree stated or one in a different field, but only if you have the experience necessary. If we say you need five years experience, don't come at me with three. And again, if it's not immediately clear on your resume how you qualify for each requirement, PUT IT IN THE COVER LETTER. I get a ton of emails from people who don't meet the requirements. Unless you want me to lump you in with them, make sure I know why you do you meet them. You can even put them in a list. I will love you for it and forward your email to my boss immediately.
The bottom line here is that the company is spending quite a bit of money hiring us to make sure they get the best possible person they can hire. Sure, you might be able to handle the job even if you don't meet all of the requirements, but if they have to spend extra money and time to train you in all of the aspects of the position and industry, they're wasting money and we look bad.
So the next time you send in an application and never hear anything back, you can grumble about the economy, but don't forget that it's not all the politicians' fault. Some of it's me. ;)
How Not to Get Hired
I work for a corporate recruiting firm. No, I'm not the fancy pants corporate recruiter; I'm just a mere lowly internet researcher. But! I *am* the first line of defense that all candidates must pass through before even being considered on the list for a job. I'm the one who weeds through the emails and resumes before passing them along to my bosses for further winnowing. And that's waaaay before the company ever even knows you're alive, much less calls you in for an interview.
First, you have to get past me.
[Insert horrible scary dragon pic]
I have, over the past couple of months, learned how to skim through the dozens of emails we get every day to figure out which ones are worth passing on and which are not. And, believe me, the vast majority are not.
Here's why you may not ever get that dream job:
1.The company already has a candidate (or two) whom they love, and now they no longer care about looking for more, no matter how wonderful your resume is. Or the company decided to go with another recruiting firm. Or they promoted internally. Or they decided the SVP's cousin's roommate's boyfriend was perfect for the job.
2.The company decided they can't really afford the position. Or that they want to wait before creating it. Or that they want to change the parameters of it. For some reason, the job does not technically exist anymore.
3.The company has some sort of weird restrictions on the position that we didn't/couldn't put in the ad. Maybe they don't want someone from the automotive industry. Maybe they only want people from Companies X,Y, and Z because they make similar products. Maybe they're willing to relocate if necessary but prefer someone local.
4.Your resume was unreadable due to formatting issues. Or, at least, difficult to read. If there are no spaces or it has three words on each line I'm not going to struggle through it. Whether you're attaching a file, including it in the body of the email, or uploading it to a website, double-check that people can read it easily. Otherwise it'll be deleted straight off the bat.
5.Similarly a plethora of typos in your resume and/or cover letter will cause me to chuck it. It makes you look unprofessional and can also come across as uneducated.
6.Your salary range is not in the range we're looking for. Not by a mile. If you're making $60K and it's a $120K job, I'm going to toss you aside. You probably either work at a much lower level or at a much smaller firm, and that means you don't have the experience we need. Conversely, if you're an EVP making $175K, you're not likely to accept a manager position at $85K.
7.Your salary range is huge: over a $100,000 spread. If you say that you want a salary between $75,000 and $200,000, I'm going to assume that the low end is what you're expecting-and possibly more than you're worth. You should know how much people with your job (or desired job) are making. Unrealistic estimates of your own worth make me think that you're exaggerating on the rest of your resume.
8.Unprofessional cover letters. Yes, it's email. No, that does not mean that you should include emoticons, multiple exclamation points, chatspeak, or most sigs. Please, type something in your cover letter, but make it brief and professional.
9.Filling your cover letter and resume up with significant quotations, business mantras, buzzwords, and multiple paragraphs about your corporate philosophy. I just need to know the basics about your experience and education here. The harder you make it for me, the less likely I'll persevere. Also, it comes across as pretentious filler to make up for a weak resume.
10.Similarly, I don't need to know all about your personal life. Languages spoken, time spent living and working in foreign countries, and professional organizations joined are informative to me. Knowing that you are blonde, have a golden retriever named Bruce, and enjoy watching foreign films are not. While they may tell me more about you as a person, these details are more suited for phone interviews with the recruiter.
11.Excessive job movement. Most companies prefer at least two years at each company; some prefer longer than that. Obviously, that's not always possible due to moves, company reorganizations, bankruptcies, etc. If so, a line in the resume telling why you left the job is helpful. Of course, if you haven't lasted longer than a year with any company for the past ten years, then no excuse will probably be good enough for them to hire you.
12.Similarly, long stretches of time unemployed. This again depends on the circumstances: economic conditions, pregnancy, relocation, family illnesses, etc. should all be noted on the resume. But if you've been out of work for several years, don't be surprised if a company is leery. You won't know all the new technology, processes, or companies, and you might be tempted to take a long-term hiatus again.
13.Your cover letter says that you're a perfect fit for the job! But your resume doesn't really show how. Maybe what you say is true and you do have experience purchasing motors or setting up company blogs. But if you're using StandardCindySmithResume.doc for every position you apply to, it may simply say that you worked at Jones Company for three years and reduced the budget by $50,000. Somewhere (in the cover letter or resume or both) you need to highlight the specific parts of your previous jobs that apply to the position you're seeking. Mentioning “While at Jones Company I purchased refrigerator motors for 100,000 units each year” or “I started and maintained the company blog for Jones Company, which can be seen here” makes my job much easier-and your chances much higher.
14.You obviously didn't even glance at the job posting before you sent in your application. If we're looking for a National Account Manager for a tool company, and you send in a resume with your most senior position being assistant store manager at McDonald's, I will trash your resume. These aren't entry-level jobs. Stop wasting my time.
15.You don't match the requirements for the job. Period. I don't think we've ever had more than ten requirements for a job (usually more like five), and they are all very straightforward. There is generally some leniency for education if you don't have the level of degree stated or one in a different field, but only if you have the experience necessary. If we say you need five years experience, don't come at me with three. And again, if it's not immediately clear on your resume how you qualify for each requirement, PUT IT IN THE COVER LETTER. I get a ton of emails from people who don't meet the requirements. Unless you want me to lump you in with them, make sure I know why you do you meet them. You can even put them in a list. I will love you for it and forward your email to my boss immediately.
The bottom line here is that the company is spending quite a bit of money hiring us to make sure they get the best possible person they can hire. Sure, you might be able to handle the job even if you don't meet all of the requirements, but if they have to spend extra money and time to train you in all of the aspects of the position and industry, they're wasting money and we look bad.
So the next time you send in an application and never hear anything back, you can grumble about the economy, but don't forget that it's not all the politicians' fault. Some of it's me. ;)