Most job hunters have minimal success with getting interviews from
newspaper or employment magazine help-wanted ads. You probably heard of
people who answered dozens of ads each week and NEVER received a call from
a company. Why is it so difficult to score an interview? Mainly because on
average, only 2 out of every 10 companies will advertise their job
openings; and on top of that, nearly everyone uses the newspapers or
employment magazines as their main resources for job leads. So, how can you
get noticed when you answer one of these ads? You're in luck because this
article is based on a case study which investigated that very question!
Recently, a Chicago area marketing firm that was seeking a new Human
Resource Generalist placed an ad in one of the local newspapers. The ad,
which appeared in the classified section for only one Sunday, called for
applicants who had the following qualifications:
1. Two years of Human Resources experience.
2. A B.A. degree in Business or Management.
3. An ability to manage a staff of three people.
4. Computer skills in WordPerfect, Excel, and MS Works.
5. Knowledge of benefits administration, labor relations, recruiting,
and Workers' Compensation laws.
It seems pretty straightforward . . . "IF YOU HAVE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR,
SEND YOUR RESUME" . . . right?? Well, in this case study, 151 resumes were
sent to the company, but a whopping 85 percent were automatically
disqualified because the applicants had few (if any) of the qualifications
the ad requested. To look at it another way, only 10 of the 151 resumes met
the minimum qualifications the supervisor was looking for!
Just the simple act of reading the job ad, and responding ONLY if you fit
99 percent of the criteria the company is looking for, can significantly
increase your chances of getting noticed! This sounds like common sense,
right? Well, tell that to the 97 rejected applicants who were Dance
Instructors, Boiler Room Operators, Gaming Hosts, Pastors, Addictions
Counselors, Food Service Managers, Accountants, Dental Hygienists, and
Retail Book Sellers!
In addition to not fitting the required qualifications, the other rejects
were trashed for the following reasons:
1. No cover letter
2. Extremely overqualified (i.e., Ph.D., M.D., etc.)
3. Extremely underqualified (i.e., high school diploma)
4. Person lives out of state
5. Poor writing skills
6. Submitted materials that weren't requested (i.e., pictures, writing
samples, etc.)
7. Resume was handwritten
8. Four-page cover letter
9. Bugs Bunny stamps were all over the envelope
10. YOU GET THE PICTURE!!
It's easy to see why these people were weeded out within 15 seconds of
opening their envelopes, but what about the 10 resumes that made the cut?
What did they do correctly? Here's the SECRET FORMULA:
1. They sent one-page resumes and cover letters
2. They explicitly conveyed the fact that they closely match the job
requirements
3. They followed-up with a phone call to the company.
The moral of this story is extremely important for those of you who would
like to save time, money, and Bugs Bunny stamps! Here it is: JOBS THAT
APPEAR IN THE CLASSIFIED ADS ARE PRIMARILY INTENDED FOR EXPERIENCED PEOPLE
IN THOSE CAREERS!
In other words, if you're a Boiler Room operator and you want to be a Human
Resource Manager when you grow up, take courses or get a degree, volunteer,
get work-study experience, find a part-time job in the field . . . build
your resume! Then, apply for jobs in the newspapers or employment magazines
with all of the contacts you've made from volunteering and joining
associations, the odds are you won't even need a newspaper or employment
magazine for job leads!
Troy Behrens, MA, NCC, is Assistant Director of Career Services at
Roosevelt University, Chicago.
