By Judit Price, MS, CDFI, IJCTC, CCM, CPRW
I recently returned from a series of conferences in which I took the opportunity to meet with recruiters and HR professionals to discuss job trends and hiring practices. While the “old days” of vast opportunity are probably gone forever, companies are hiring. Consequently, I wanted to know what characteristics were considered important when deciding which candidates to interview and subsequently hire.
Needless to say the list is long. Clearly, candidate scrutiny has never been greater with organizational compatibility, strong team capabilities and a capacity to begin producing quickly topping the list. Recruiters and hiring managers will look for some other factors that help determine which candidates “make the cut” as they move through the process.
Relevant experience is the door opener, but the closers certainly include these three important factors.
Starting with the resume, a number of people particularly stressed the importance of demonstrating flexibility in the resume. We live in a very dynamic business environment, subject to enormous competitive stress on a global scale. That calls for an organization that is highly flexible, capable of changing direction quickly to respond to whatever is required to survive and grow. Consequently, finding employees that exhibit these qualities of flexibility, responsiveness and innovativeness is prized. It is important to showcase on the resume accomplishments that demonstrate these areas of concern.
When responding to ads, whether online or not, take a good look at the criteria for the job and respond to the specifics. Response letters filled with vague generalities will not work. I suggest two columns, one labeled “You need” and one labeled “I have”, with a point-by-point response that is easily readable and on target. Job screeners see thousands of inquiry letters and have neither the patience nor endurance to wade through a letter and try to figure out the substance of your response.
An exception to this rule would be those who are making any type of significant job change. You still need to fit the requirements of the job. But, if you are changing industries or going from management to an individual contributor position, or any change that would be noticeable on the resume, that has to be explained fully and convincingly in your cover letter.
Non-productive time when unemployed is an important issue. If you are a professional out of work, consider some type of consulting while job hunting. Don’t assume you will find a new position right away. Why? If you are unfortunate to be unemployed for a lengthy period of time, screeners are awfully suspicious about how you conducted yourself. Were you productive or did you take a long vacation? It matters.
If, during the time between positions, you were able to get some consulting work, and make some money that is a huge plus. Almost everyone has either been unemployed at some point in their career or knew someone close who was unemployed. People have a lot of respect for those who handled their difficulties with character and fortitude. Consequently, selling your skills in temporary work that generates revenue generates respect with screeners.
If you land an interview with either a recruiter or a hiring manager be prepared to go into your work history in depth. It is extremely important to describe past choices of industry, company or position in term of career goals. Even though the truth may be “they gave me an offer”, avoid that answer. After all, if you gave old positions some thoughtful consideration, interviewers will feel more comfortable in considering you. Nobody wants to hire someone for a responsible position who simply “needs the job”. Realistically, that may be exactly the case. But employers want committed, dedicated employees who see genuine value in employment with their organizations. Hence, make sure you know with certainty and clarity your work history.
Finally, no matter how difficult any previous employment may have been, nobody wants to hear your troubles. You may want to let loose with a string of expletives, especially when there has been obvious mistreatment. Don’t!! The danger is in reflecting an inability to let go, so put it all behind you and move on. Hiring managers want fresh candidates with healthy attitudes. Any indication that you are carrying bitter baggage from a previous position could be the kiss of death in an interview.
So what do you do? How do you explain your separation or desire for separation? Think in strategic terms, such as concern for the future of your old company, organization uncertainty, economic challenges, or other strategic reasons. Make the specific general. Don’t say your boss was an idiot, you hated him and couldn’t do your job. Rather explain that you had serious concerns about the organization and its inability to function effectively
My own opinion is job screeners have heard it all before and don’t buy most of it. They are realistic and don’t want to hire complainers. But, if you can note what you liked and express disappointment, but not rancor, that will probably suffice.
About Judit Price
Judit is an employment and career transition consultant and coach in private practice with over 30 years experience. She holds a Masters Degree in counseling and is a Masters level certified career guidance professional, Career Development Facilitator Instructor, International Job and Career Coach, Certified Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer and a Certified Personal Branding Specialist. Web site, Blog
