Job Seekers: You're To Blame Too

There's a lot wrong with recruiting today, but job seekers aren't doing themselves any favors.

Awhile back, I wrote a post stating that "hiring is marketing." It gave suggestions to an employer on how to recruit the best candidates in the right way. Today? We tackle the problem from the other side: the job candidate.

Know Your Market

One of the biggest challenges companies have today is when there's an enormous gap between the type of candidate they want and the type of candidate applying. As a job seeker, it's your job to understand the basics of the role. It's your job to do some research. When that role is sales or marketing related? There's an even bigger expectation that you understand the role. These types of positions expect you to have these skills and apply them readily to situations...including your own personal 'selling.'  

I recently had a candidate for a business development position opt out of the phone interview within the first five minutes of the conversation because "oh, I didn't realize this was a sales job and I would have to cold call." We talk about this requirement in the job posting. This individual didn't respect us enough to read and understand the position before blindly applying.

Know Your Market (Part II)

Salary gaps are landmines. There will always exist a gap between employer and job candidate. However, these gaps should be incremental in nature, not exponential. 

We had a job candidate express a salary range that was 5x our top end. Again, five minutes of research would have helped this candidate save their time and mine. With all of the resources available today, being incrementally apart is acceptable; exponentially apart is not. 

Don't Sell Yourself

We are often confused by the advice of "sell yourself." Yes, I'm hiring you based on multiple factors; personality traits are a part of that. But this age-old advice needs a face-lift: Sell Your Solution.

I'm thinking about hiring you because I have a problem and I think you may be able to fix it. Find ways to learn about my problems. The job description is often a great resource. Tell me how you've solved problems like mine elsewhere. Ask me insightful questions, make educated assumptions. You may be wrong, but I'll respect you for taking the time to try and understand my needs. 

The barriers to applying for jobs is lower than ever before. No more do we have to hand-write a resume, type it out or mail it in. With the push of a button I can apply for dozens of jobs in a short time frame. But many markets (like Kansas City) are fairly small. Your reputation is too valuable to risk frustrating employers with your lack of attention. I know many job seekers are desperate, willing to do anything and take anything...but if you want to retain your reputation and have a genuine opportunity? Take five minutes to research the organization you're applying for and truly ask yourself if you're the best fit for the job. If you believe the answer is 'yes,' sell your solution.