Kaye Monty

Job applicants who apply for every job posting on a company’s career site always puzzled me.  The job posting clearly states, “Must have at least 10 years experience in X.”  Yet applicants continue to submit their resume even though they do not have any experience at all. I asked other recruiters for their thoughts on the subject.  One of them suggested that these applicants probably received poor advice that it would not hurt them to apply.  In fact, they suspected that some even encouraged that they apply for every opportunity just to increase the chances of their resume being viewed.

As a recruiter, I have to wonder about the candidate’s attention to detail.  They clearly are not reading the job description.  At the very least, they are not able to follow instructions.  The applicant tracking system that I use also allows me to see every single job that this candidate has applied to in our company.  When their cover letter states that they really want to work in health care yet they apply for jobs in public affairs or technology, then it really makes me wonder about their sincerity as well.

There are better ways to get your resume viewed by recruiters or hiring managers.  I was reading this article this morning which gives great advice.  Forbes provides the top 7 things that you can to get a job:

1. Beef up your resume by using strong active verbs and numbers that demonstrate results.
2. Write a killer cover letter to explain why you’re a good fit for the job by stating what can not be seen on your resume.
3. Focus your job search by targeting specific companies and/or industries that appeals to your passion.
4. Be smart about social media by cleaning up your online profiles and using Twitter and/or LinkedIn.
5. Ace your interview by learning as much as you can about the company and preparing at least 3 questions.
6. Stay in the game by refreshing your skills or developing new ones.
7. Network your way help open doors and opportunities.