Do Your Job Application Materials Say 'Qualified'?

Do Your Job Application Materials Say 'Qualified'?

By Max Messmer, Chairman and CEO, Robert Half International Inc.

Highlighting your qualifications may be the key to landing a job in the current market, a recent survey by Robert Half International Inc. and CareerBuilder.com suggests. Forty-two percent of hiring managers polled said it was challenging to find qualified staff 12 months ago, and 86 percent said it's equally or more difficult today. Forty-seven percent attributed recruiting hardships to a shortage of qualified workers.

These are among the key findings of The Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report. The study explores employment, hiring and compensation trends from the perspective of employees and hiring managers in an effort to gauge who has the most influence in the job market. More than 1,450 workers and 600 hiring managers participated in the survey.

Although many companies face difficulties in finding qualified professionals, a majority of employees surveyed view the job market as a tough one. More than half said it was difficult finding a job 12 months ago, and 42 percent said it is even more challenging today. These results suggest that the challenge for job seekers may not be a lack of opportunities but the ability to convince hiring managers that they are ideally suited for open positions. Doing so certainly can put an applicant's power of persuasion to the test. Organizations are increasingly cautious when making hiring decisions and want to ensure they bring aboard only the best. It's imperative, therefore, to be strategic in your job search. Creating top-notch application materials is a good first step.

Getting Noticed
Chief among the documents you submit to prospective employers is your résumé. Targeting the qualifications highlighted in this document to each opening is instrumental to making a positive impression with hiring managers.

Start your résumé with a strong summary statement that captures an employer's attention. If you're applying for a managerial position, for example, this two- to three-sentence statement should highlight your 10 years of previous experience in similar roles, perhaps mentioning the declining turnover that occurred in your department during your tenure or your staff's ability to consistently exceed companywide goals.

Rather than just listing your responsibilities under your work history, describe your accomplishments in concrete, quantifiable terms (e.g., exceeded lead generation goal by more than 200 percent). Although you want to emphasize the specific results you've achieved, be sure to call attention to your soft skills as well. While companies continually seek applicants with strong technical expertise, they also require that workers possess solid interpersonal skills.

Providing evidence of these abilities can help your résumé stand out. If, for instance, you led a technology-selection team in your last position, describe that experience, including how many professionals were on the team and what you accomplished.

Keep in mind that tailoring your résumé to different positions can be as simple as rewording your summary statement to emphasize certain experiences and skills over others or reordering bullet points to ensure your most relevant accomplishments appear first.

Driving Your Point Home
In addition to a well-written résumé, a strong cover letter is essential to landing an interview. If possible, address your letter to the individual who will likely review your résumé. You typically can obtain this information by calling the organization, perusing its Web site or contacting members of your professional network.

Like your résumé, your cover letter should be targeted to each opening you pursue. For instance, if you're applying for a position at a company that recently merged with another, consider referencing your knowledge of this development in your letter (e.g., I read about your merger with XYZ Company, and I think my experience in XYZ's industry would be of interest to you.). Avoid simply rehashing the details from your résumé. Instead, try to expand upon your strongest attributes and present this information in a way that is compelling and pertinent to the position.

Always keep in mind that your résumé and cover letter will prompt employers to either interview you or eliminate you from consideration. If it appears that you haven't done your homework before applying for a position, a potential employer will question your qualifications and professional dedication.

The job market may not be entirely employee-driven, but the EDGE Report findings indicate a gradual shift in that direction is underway. Employers don't expect it to become any easier to hire qualified candidates in fact, 86 percent said it will be just as challenging or even more so a year from now. For job seekers with in-demand skills, this is welcome news. In the months ahead, the employment market may very well present you with the opportunity for which you've been waiting.


About the Survey
The survey was conducted from August 1 to August 8, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 1,450 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These web panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.57 percentage points (19 times out of 20). Note: This sample included more than 600 hiring managers. The results for the hiring managers are statistically accurate to within +/- 4.0 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

Max Messmer is chairman and CEO of Robert Half International Inc., the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. To view the EDGE Report in its entirety, visit www.rhi.com.