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If you’ve been on the job market in the last two years, you have probably received numerous responses to your resumes advising you of your excellent qualifications, but explaining that you were not selected for an interview. Sometimes you may get more information, your qualifications were not a match, and other times it’s just a mystery. So what are employers looking for anyway? If you are applying for jobs that you are qualified for and not getting the responses you expect consider the following:
The Best Fit
Turnover is expensive and employers want to avoid the short-term worker who is only going to stay until they find something better. Employers are also seeking people who will fit well with the corporate culture and adhere to and embrace the company’s core values. Employers with innovative and fast-paced environments want people who are ready and able to make rapid changes. Whatever criteria the employer has for an employee, they want to make sure you fit with their organization, to ensure more successful hires.
So how do you know if you will fit with the employer if you are never given a chance to interview? It’s a good question. Employers use screening methods to weed out candidates that they feel would not be acceptable. You may or may not have any control over this factors depending on what the employer is using to screen out candidates.
It may be that they are seeking people with longevity in past employment, or specific industry experience or education. Some employers will draft good descriptions for what they are seeking in a candidate, but many times they won’t. This makes it difficult to know if you will measure up. Every hiring manager is different, so you may never know why you were not selected for an interview, but don’t let that discourage you. There are things you can do to increase your chances of an interview.
Skills and Education
Many times an employer will prefer a degree or other training, so don’t forget to put this information on your resume. Even if you didn’t finish your degree make sure you list any courses or training you have that will help qualify you for the position. If the employer states that experience may substitute for education, be sure to describe all of your experience that relates to the qualifications for the job.
Do Your Homework
Over and over you hear the advice to tailor your resume to the skills and key elements of the job description, and there’s a reason for the repetition, its great advice. You already know what the employer is looking for in the advertised position, but you should go beyond this basic knowledge and seek to understand what the company is about and how you can contribute to the company’s goals.
Do your homework before you craft your cover letter and find out what the company is about, what are the core values, what is it that the company strives to do in its industry. You can look at the company website; find articles online, access former employees through LinkedIn or other social networking sites. If you want to make the short list, you have to impress the company representative who is screening your application, and the best way to do this is to align your skills, goals and values with that of your potential employer.
This may also help you select positions with employers that offer cultures consistent with your beliefs and goals, so you don’t waste your time interviewing with an employer that isn’t right for you. It’s understandable that in this economy any job may be better than unemployment, however, a string of short-term stints with multiple employers may be detrimental to your ultimate career objectives.
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