Being the ripest cherry for the picking

Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com
MILWAUKEE, WI — In the employment world, “cherry picking” is when an employer is very specific with candidate requirements and interviews only those whose skills are an exact match. This practice is more prevalent with firms paying placement agencies a fee for finding the right candidate. “Our clients are really buckling down on who they will look at from us. They only want very top talent in order to pay a fee,” said one recruiter.
One way to combat this phenomenon is to customize your resume for each job you apply for – clarifying and highlighting your skills that match the job description well. Perhaps you can even use some of the same language as you found in the job description.

Professional recruiters also suggest that face-to-face interaction is a way to overcome cherry picking. “I would recommend that (job seekers) network like champs with their acquaintances, professional organizations, past employers, recruiters, service organizations…. And they should not discount the opportunities that can arise from Temp and Temp-to-Perm (contract) projects,” said one executive recruiter.
Article by Wendy J. Terwelp, Career Coach, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!