Career Talk JDR

Posts Tagged ‘emphasis’

How many times have you heard the word overqualified?  Anytime I see a manager applying for a lesser position, I immediately assume this person is looking to take any available job until he or she can find a better one. 

Tip: If you truly want the lower level position, downplay the upper level responsibilities and emphasize the lower level tasks and accomplishments required at that level.

When jobs were plentiful and skilled workers were at a premium, you could expect a recruiter or hiring official to study each resume, willing to make whatever mental leap necessary to deem the candidate a fit for the job. Today, hiring officials believe there are enough resources on the market that they do not need to settle for anything less than the perfect candidate. Budgets are tight, and by golly they expect the most bang from every buck. The price for finding this perfect specimen is sifting through a mountain of resumes. To do this, recruiters and hiring officials must shift into rapid elimination mode, allowing each resume only a brief glance to prove itself worthy of the short list.

The three most important aspects of the resume: Emphasis, Emphasis, Emphasis.

Okay, here’s the situation. I’m a recruiter and I’m advertising a systems architect position for one of my clients.  I have a desk full of job orders to fill and more under- and overqualified candidates than I can possibly interview in a month’s time, and they’re steadily coming in by the droves. My ad requests candidates to first submit a resume. If you are qualified, I will contact you. And you can bet I will because I need to fill this position before my competition scoops me.