What do you think - should being local, fully qualified, and having an impeccable resume be enough to earn an interview? (applying, job)
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Do you feel that this should be enough to earn you an interview? Why/why not?
What percentage of candidates that a job opening looks at do you think meet these three requirements?
Depends on who else is applying. You may meet and exceed all requirement but there could be a dozen more that exceed even your qualifications.
In my industry, only about 5% of candidates meet the standards set out in the job announcement. Unfortunately, we are an industry with a overwhelming desire by wannabes to be part of it. They apply even when they clearly do not meet the most basic requirements.
So many other things go into the process....what you "look" like on paper is only part of the deal.
You didn't mention experience--perhaps that is part of what you mean by "meeting their requirements 100%".
Timing? Who do you know that they know? Who have you pizzed off along the path of life? Age? Where do u live? Family? Hiring manager HATES your school? Ethnic background?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rabrrita
Depends on who else is applying. You may meet and exceed all requirement but there could be a dozen more that exceed even your qualifications.
In my industry, only about 5% of candidates meet the standards set out in the job announcement. Unfortunately, we are an industry with a overwhelming desire by wannabes to be part of it. They apply even when they clearly do not meet the most basic requirements.
Exactly. When we get 100+ applicants for one position, maybe 20 are really qualified, but then maybe a dozen are invited for an interview, to keep it to manageable levels. That means being in the top 10% to get interviewed. Of those there may only be 1-3 that we would consider hiring, but only one will get the job. Regardless of how well qualified you are, the quality of your resume, and your interview skills, someone else could be better.
If you have the following working in your favor when applying for a job:
1. You are a local candidate in the same town/city you are applying for.
2. You are fully qualified for the position (not just their basic requirements, but the preferred ones as well).
3. You have an impeccable resume, tailored impressively to the job and free of any grammar/spelling/formatting errors.
Do you feel that this should be enough to earn you an interview? Why/why not?
What percentage of candidates that a job opening looks at do you think meet these three requirements?
No.
You could have all of the above and still have the reputation for being a Royal PIA. So being local is not always an asset.
I hope not, I apply for jobs that I'm 75-80% qualified for so I can "move up" the ladder. The reason I don't meet 100% is because if I'm looking for a new job, it's because I want a higher role than what I've done so far so I expect a learning curve to new job.
If you have the following working in your favor when applying for a job:
1. You are a local candidate in the same town/city you are applying for.
2. You are fully qualified for the position (not just their basic requirements, but the preferred ones as well).
3. You have an impeccable resume, tailored impressively to the job and free of any grammar/spelling/formatting errors.
Do you feel that this should be enough to earn you an interview? Why/why not?
What percentage of candidates that a job opening looks at do you think meet these three requirements?
Depends if it's even an open position. Our company worked with a recruiter about possibly listing a position in the future and they listed it immediately. There was no confusion about "later". Because of that, someone quit because they thought they were being replaced. It caused a huge problem for us (our company is pretty unique and the position was clearly for our company).
So some positions aren't even open. Some are also "courtesy" listings where the company is forced by policy to list the job both internally and externally. We have that requirement.
In some cases there might be no interviews, and in others, there might not even be a job available. So expecting an interview might not be realistic in some cases. In others, you might be almost guaranteed to get one.
If you have the following working in your favor when applying for a job:
1. You are a local candidate in the same town/city you are applying for.
2. You are fully qualified for the position (not just their basic requirements, but the preferred ones as well).
3. You have an impeccable resume, tailored impressively to the job and free of any grammar/spelling/formatting errors.
Do you feel that this should be enough to earn you an interview? Why/why not?
What percentage of candidates that a job opening looks at do you think meet these three requirements?
That would depend on the type of job. The employer may have a budget and feel a truly qualified person would demand more than they want to pay.
Nothing's guaranteed in this life, and certainly not a job interview.
Of course, you should try your hardest, tailor your resume and cover letter to the position, try to network with people in the company, research what they do, and explain how you can help them do it better.
Then repeat 100 more times, and sooner or later you'll land a job.
Keep in mind, from the employer's point of view, almost every applicant looks great on paper, but some people out there are crazy, or lazy, or criminals, etc. If someone knows you personally and can vouch for you, you're much more likely to get an interview let alone an offer.
Maybe or maybe not. It isn't fair but that's the way it is. You know what they asked for but not necessarily what they really wanted. Perhaps the job wasn't 'real' in the first place, they were really fishing for something else. Maybe they already know who the want to hire, they were required to look at others first.
And being local, maybe someone there knows you and doesn't like you because you beat up one of their friends in grade school.
As a person who hired for several companies in the past, I know that employers are inundated with resumes and will look for any reason to "weed" them before scheduling interviews. For example, too many jobs (more than three jobs in seven years for anyone over the age of 25 is the criteria we used) is a red flag.
Here are some other things to keep in mind:
1. Keep your resume simple and don't make it too wordy -- unless you are going for a very technical or top echelon job, there is no reason why a resume should be more than two pages long. Most hiring people spend less than two minutes reading/scanning each resume. All they are looking for when weeding the "possibles" from the "no's" is determining if a person CAN (probably) do the job. Interviews are for confirming that the person can actually do the job, to see if the person really wants this particular job, ,if the person will "fit in", and if the person probably will actually do the job (meaning no family conflicts, travel issues, etc.).
2. Include actual accomplishments, not just your duties and responsibilities. Saying that you managed a sales force of 25 is okay, but saying that sales increased by 30% after you had the position for one year is much better. (However, be wary of appearing arrogant! Just the facts, please.)
3. As others have said, cover letters are very important. A well-written and personalized cover letter will convey the idea that the enclosed resume is not just another one of a hundred you are sending out, but that you truly want THIS job. If at all possible, address it to a specific person, not just "Dear Sir or Madam".
4. If you haven't received a reply to a resume within a couple of weeks, telephone and ask to speak to the assistant of the person who is the decision maker. After you are connected, ask her or him if a decision has been mad, and then express to him or her that you are still very interested in the position. If you make a good impression, she or he might mention you in a positive way to the boss.
Two interesting true stories that I was personally involved in:
One time a person really wanted to work in sales for a fun and prestigious resort that offered good pay and a ton of benefits, so she telephoned the Director of Sales to ask if there were any openings, and when she was told No, she asked if she could come in anyway just to meet him and get some ideas as to how she could advance in her career. He agreed, and he was so impressed with her in person, that he added a position just so he could hire her. (And, no, there was no hanky panky involved!)
The second incident at the same company involved another person who was interviewed, but was subsequently informed that she did not get the job. Instead of just saying something like, "Well, thank you for your time and consideration of me, anyway" (which is a perfectly fine response, btw), she very politely asked what specifically were his reasons for not hiring her. Although many employers would have been completely turned off by that, the DOS told her directly and honestly exactly why he had rejected her. She thanked him for his honesty, went home, and then typed and mailed a very polite and factual letter to him in explaining why he was wrong (rebutting each objection one by one), and he ended up hiring her after all!
I want to emphasize that in both cases, the key point was polite aggression, which is considered a valuable trait in some professions -- and especially in sales!
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