The Screen Out

Having screened over 24,000 resumes in over a decade of recruiting and executive recruiting, I've mastered the art of (very) quickly determining the viability of any given job application.  When I was assessing an application against a specific job specification, I was looking for reasons NOT to bring you in for an interview.  

I'm still surprised by the number of clients who hadn't actually looked at the screening process through this lens.  After reviewing countless applications, with each resume blurring into the next, hiring managers become adept at finding reasons NOT to interview you.

This becomes the starting bloc for all of my resume clients.  Why wouldn't I want to interview you for this role?  At what point would I lose interest in your document and what you had to say about yourself?  How easy would it be for me to consign your resume to the shredder?  

Once we uncover the likely objections to your application, we can start to construct an outline of our strategy to take your project forward.  If we deal with this early, and build our project to address these issues head on, we start to tread the path toward securing you the all-important interview.

The reason so many job applicants fall at the first hurdle, is because they've all made it far too easy for the hiring manager to hit the delete button.

End-to-End

I received a delightful email from a former client informing me that he had secured his dream job!  His new employer is located 10 minutes from his home, are a major player in his field of specialty, and the role offers a significant increase in scope, responsibility and of course money!

The client first approached me with a job specification and requirements portfolio issued to him by an international executive recruitment firm.  The data set outlining the position requirements and ideal candidate specification was thorough, complex and demanded a candidate of the very highest caliber.  The brief went on to detail part of the recruiting strategy which sought to attract local, national and international candidates for the position.

I accepted the request  to work with my client on the project and immediately began the consultation process which was structured around the requirements of the role.  My client's resume was in need of a complete re-design and re-structure due to the fact that it didn't reflect at least 40% of his actual professional skills and experience, which upon discovery, became crucial to the overall success of his application.

Phase one focused entirely on the resume and cover letter creation, which won him an interview with the executive recruiter leading the international search.  As soon as he was notified that his application had won him an interview with the President of the hiring firm, we proceeded to phase 2 - the interview coaching session.  This proved to be invaluable, as although my client was a highly capable, intelligent and forthright individual, he had not been in an interview situation for almost a decade, and it showed!  After the mock interview we conduct as part of our 2 hour coaching session, we discussed method, structure, interviewer strategy, and what they're looking for as well as the errors made during our mock interview.

I was delighted to hear that he had dazzled the President and associates, as well as receiving his gratitude for the part Vancouver Resume Writing & Interview Coaching had played in his preparation and execution of the process.

He was a great guy to work with and I wish him well in his new role!