Separate yourself, by making the hiring manager’s job easy

In these times, with unemployment rising, more and more people are applying for less and less available positions. One way you can separate yourself from the masses of people applying for the same position is to make the hiring manager’s job easy.

The more hoops a hiring manager needs to go through, the more likely it is that they will respond poorly to you, especially if you have similar or equal skills to other candidates applying to the same position.

Yes, we have a database of information. We probably have your resume. And when we send you an email asking for more qualifications, it is up to you to help clarify the information and to included it in your response. This is your job to clarify in your email, verbal response, and even in the interview.

I have heard responses for information come back to me with, “Well, it is on my resume” Basically, they are telling me, “Duh didn’t you see it? I wrote it.” And I think, “Why are you wasting my time.”

Here is a response to an email for a job posting we had.

“I love to be considered for this job. I think, I am qualified for the job. I have attached my resume and will like a response on what is the next step.”

The problem with this, he had not a single skill that matched the specifications for the position.

I also received a call this morning from someone referred my way. She wanted me to call her and tell her about the open positions. She might want consider this approach. She could have asked me to contact her to see if she is qualified.

This might seem small, but what makes a makes a great first impression is a person that wants to present their skills and desire to work. Versus me having contact them, to tell them what I have available.

So how can you make it easier?

Be responsive – respond quickly to a request for information, even it your not interested in the job.
Be kind – We get many resumes, so understand that you are one of many and leave messages or talk in a respectful manner.
Be giving - Make sure you give the information requested, do not make us look it up.
Be interested – So interested that you want to earn the job, not have it given to you.