How to Think Like a Headhunter or Recruiter

Want to get an interview? Then begin to think like a Headhunter or Recruiter! Ask yourself specifically what is the position and exactly who are they looking for to fill it? What qualities do they appreciate in a candidate? Is company mission oriented "all hands on deck until the job is done" culture? Perform enough research to know where your skills, experiences, and values learned will be most readily identified as being "positive", and then give a brief career history highlighting those areas into your resume that bring on an "Aha!" from the reader. You will find that, more often than not, it will cause the recruiter to pick up the phone and call you in for an interview!

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As a Headhunter or Recruiter, what keywords would you enter if you wanted to find the most qualified candidate for the job? Recruiters expect to find the right person by identifying the resume with the most keywords used in their initial job announcement/advertisement. Companies advertising online place relevant and desired "key words" into their resume screening program - Applicant Tracking System (ATF) software. ATF, also known as talent management systems (TMS) is used to garner, analyze, and coordinate resumes and applicant information. One important fact - these tracking systems screen out about one half of all resume submissions. Many unsuccessful online job seekers have long believed that their online resume submissions go into an obscure resume abyss. These futile job hunters may really be on to something! One reason, at least 40-50% of all online submissions by job hunters get screened as "not having the basic qualifications for the job" even though the submitter may truly have the qualifications. These candidates simply failed to place those qualifications into their resume via select keywords.

To make an impact, and prove you are qualified for a position, when applying for a position titled "operations manager" ensure that both of the title words - "operations" and "manager" are strategically placed in your resume (preferably in the top one third). Note: Another way to enter the chasm of resume doom is to confuse the screening/tracking software with the presentation of your information and dates in the "Job History" or "Experience" section. Always list the employer first and then list dates of employment (on the right side of the page).

Headhunters and Recruiters like "dynamic" "pop off of the page" verbiage! While your resume design should be presented in a simple, easy-to-read format to get the best results, each sentence within your "Skills/Value Added" and "Employment History" sections should start off with dynamic and anomalous action words. Such pop out lead-in's can include action words such as "Employed forward thinking leadership to motivate staff...", or "Led teams in operational and compliance initiatives, improving internal control, and financial results...".

Remember - It's not about you, it's all about the Headhunter or Recruiter and their company or the company they represent. Take a look at the company's website for clues to their values - can you align yourself with a company's culture (often defined by their mission statement)? Aligning yourself and your resume with the organization and its mission is extraordinarily important for success in any online resume submission.

copyright 2012 Metroplex Resume Service

Six Strategies for Getting Hired

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As a job seeker, putting your best foot forward isn’t always easy.  Fear of rejection, embarrassment over past job performances, or anxiousness can set in.  Don’t let your emotions overtake you.  Here some strategies to get you hired:

1. Research the company and position before the interview. Read current articles, press releases, and visit the company’s website for any pertinent information. Write down anything and everything an interview might ask about what you know about the company.

2. Find a way to determine what a “good fit” means to the employer.  Your objective is to find out how you might uniquely enhance the company through the position you are interviewing for. Example: “How would you describe your organization’s culture?”

3. Don’t divulge too much information during the interview. You may believe revealing information about your previous working environment, your family, or your hobbies is important to the interviewer, but revealing too much gives him/her an opportunity to formulate assumptions and possibly draw negative conclusions about you as an employee.

4. Remain open minded during the interview. Before the interview, clear your mind of any assumptions, fears, and expectations you may have so you will be emotionally neutral and can maintain an open-minded perspective. If you start to feel expectant or apprehensive, needy or overconfident, change your position in your chair, take a deep breath–do anything to distract yourself and get back to neutral.

5. Don’t appear desperate for the job. The very appearance of desperation can kill your advantage in a job interview.

6. Concentrate on what you can control during the interview. Basically, there are only two things you can control in the interview- your demeanor and your responses to the interview questions. Listen to the questions carefully, take notes if necessary, answer questions by constantly keeping the interviewer’s objectives in mind. Answer questions demonstrating how you fit in with and can advance the employer’s goals.

Copyright 2012-13