It's always good to try and learn from other people's mistakes. Below is the true story of some major mistakes a Minnesota job seeker recently made, as told by Arlene Vernon (www.arlenevernon.com), PHR, a seasoned HR executive who partners with small businesses as their Human Resource Xpert to create their HR systems and solve their HR problems.
"I’ve been conducting some recruiting for a client," says Vernon. "And I’m always amazed at the responses I receive from applicants."
Included is this information below, which leaves Vernon wondering what this candidate is thinking when including the following in a cover letter (this is verbatim from the email):
"I am very interested in your position. I have a few questions: where in Minneapolis is the location? What is the pay range? Are there any benefits? What are the hours you want to be worked during the week? I have also attached my resume for you to review. I would greatly appreciate a response to my questions as soon as possible, to determine if it is a fit for me."
Vernon's thoughts on all of this?
"First of all, the candidate lost me when she failed to go to the company’s website and find the location," she said. "But am I the only person who thinks that this person is asking too many questions before I even read her resume? And since this person is applying for the HR Director position, I’d think that she would know that it’s nearly impossible for employers to answer each candidate’s cover letter/resume with a personal response.”
Vernon said she received the almost identical set of questions from another candidate the week before. She asks “what does this tell us about our pool of candidates? Who is teaching/advising candidates how to stand out from the crowd? This certainly isn’t moving the applicants resume into the possibility of getting an interview - or gaining employment. “
Vernon finished with this piece of advice:
"If you know anyone seeking employment, advise them that they are selling themselves for an open position," says Vernon. "And while they are also buying into an organization, give the organization the chance to consider your application before you rudely screen yourself out of the candidacy. Or, I could just thank them for making screening them out so easy."
Remember, when applying for a job, you need to think like an employer. You need to think about all the things you can do to help them and you need to show that in your communication with them. It's not about you and your needs - especially this early in the stage - it's about showing the employer you have the skills they are looking for, and should be considered for an interview. That's it.
More about Arlene Vernon
If you have gaps in your HR operation, have an employee problem to solve, or want to enhance your managers' skills, call Arlene today. Learn how HRx can save you time and help you avoid costly HR mistakes. HRx, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN 55344, 952-996-0975, www.HRxcellence.com. Arlene@ArleneVernon.com
If you have gaps in your HR operation, have an employee problem to solve, or want to enhance your managers' skills, call Arlene today. Learn how HRx can save you time and help you avoid costly HR mistakes. HRx, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN 55344, 952-996-0975, www.HRxcellence.com. Arlene@ArleneVernon.com
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Comments
Wow, it's crazy that someone applying for HR Director would make such simple mistakes. It just goes to show that everyone has something to learn about these issues!
That is crazy that someone with such a background would make big mistakes such as these. I have several professionals that do the same thing when applying for various jobs. Maybe someday these professionals will learn how to sell themselves!
I still get rejection letters from large companies stating "we regret to inform you" and "you do not meet the minimum requirements". Obviouly these HR professionals did not take bcom 101 or have any common sense.
Matt, I started offering free Resume and Cover letter reviews to help folks out during this "transitional" time. Last month, I received over 140 of them. Good news? Only 135 needed to start from scratch!
There is nothing more important to an applicant than education. Education about the company, education about the skills/competencies that they bring to the table. Education on Communication...period!
No need to get excited and stressed about the job market today. Plenty of opportunities exist for the applicant presenting the "complete" package. BUT...applicant's spending all day on job boards, networking in cut-off jeans and Hawaiian shirts with misspelled resumes written on Bounty paper towels have a VERY, VERY small chance of getting hired.
Keep doing what you're doing! GREAT words of wisdom!
I do agree that some of the questions raised by applicant are not pertinent. But is that a reason to discount a qualified applicant ??? or approach them with a pinch of salt. I think HR recruiters need to understand that it is a two way street and that they need a qualified candidate ( with idiosyncrasies thrown in for good measure)in addition to the candidates needing a job at the organization. I will never discount any individual based on intial response as it is bound to bite us in the long run and we will lose gems... An anecdote comes to my mind where a acquaintance saw a job posting for the eastern US and on asking the recruiter for the location I believe he was told off and asked not to apply for the position as he was asking questions!!!
Anyways markets change and applicants will be in short supply soon .. so let us not burn bridges.
It is amazing that someone asks these questions in a cover letter.I felt that this was an individual with very little experience in the job world. The cover letter is a chance to make a strong impression on an employer about your credentials.
Good example of a cover letter is to take the 3 highest attributes from your resume and craft them into the cover letter. Then keep your letter short.
I am amazed when high level people make simple mistakes, too. I was once recruiting for an HR Director for a high end retail chain. The must have was 5 years of high end retail experience and the pay was $100k a year. An HR Director from an investment bank applied. No fashion experience and she was making $300k a year. I asked why she applied, was she interested in taking such a pay cut? No, she wasn't, but she liked clothes.
I wish I was interviewing against these folks. I've been interviewing for director level and Sr. management positions, and I find the "competition" is far too savvy to make these kinds of mistakes. The other candidates all know to dress properly, research the company, have questions prepared, and write thank you notes. In this market, no one can afford to make these errors or they won't even get past the starting block.
Here's the bad news: These applicants are a small minority of the applicant pool. While it's nice to know there are some folks out there making it easier for me to get my resume moved to the top of the pile, the bad news is the vast majority of applicants know not to make these mistakes. I certainly do and I know how to write strong cover letters and resumes, network my way into a company in order to get my application "noticed" and do strong interviews. But after 21 months of searching this has yet to help me secure a permanent position. The applicant pool is overcrowded with qualified people who know not to make these mistakes. Never before in my 20 year career have I had trouble finding work and, prior to this job search, I had never NOT gotten a job I had interviewed for in my life. While these examples provide some comic relief, I almost wish you wouldn't help these people. It's hard enough in this job market for those of us who know the proper way to conduct a job search.
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