| Does this describe you?o You are Employable but not | | | | they now need to re-scan the "move forward" pile |
| currently Employed.o You know you've been perfect | | | | and dig a little deeper into specifics. This could easily |
| for the jobs you've applied for but never heard back | | | | be another 30 plus hours. Calculating to this point, we |
| from them.o Or, you may hear back but after either | | | | are 2 weeks in and we are only talking about the 1st |
| a short email exchange, you don't hear back again. | | | | week's worth of Resumes. This is pretty enlightening |
| Why? What happened? | | | | information that I bet you didn't think about before. |
| These are common scenarios I see daily. The | | | | So when you are on some of the social networking |
| problem may stem from a very simple process that | | | | sites, or reading articles about submitting your |
| I'll call the Pre-Interview Test. So let's talk a little bit | | | | Resume, and you see "quote" experts telling you |
| about what makes up the Pre-Interview Test that | | | | that after 3 or 4 days of you submitting your |
| most candidates miss! | | | | information, if you haven't heard back, something |
| Pre-Interview tests are becoming common place for | | | | must be wrong. Well, I'm here to tell you nothing |
| companies to use as another tool to screen | | | | may be wrong at all, other than they are inundated |
| applicants. Why? Let me take you through some real | | | | with responses. That's the simple truth and the reality |
| life numbers that will shock you. | | | | of what's happening in today's market. |
| When a Recruiting Firm places an ad for a Company, | | | | So now you have a better understanding of the |
| specifically in today's market, regardless of the | | | | sheer volume Recruiters and Companies are getting, |
| position, geography, or market niche, they typically | | | | you can understand Companies have to find a way |
| get 500 Resumes that first day for that one position. | | | | to screen OUT applicants. |
| By the end of 5 days on average they receive 1,000 | | | | What's happening to the "not a fit" pile? Trust me, |
| to 1,500 Resumes for one position. 1,000 to 1,500, | | | | the last thing on their mind is to put them in some |
| for one position! That's a lot. Now you have some | | | | sort of a system to start processing the standard, |
| more insight as to the competition you're up against. | | | | "thank you for applying, but we are moving forward |
| Don't worry; read on, I'm also going to give you | | | | with other candidate's" letter. That would require |
| some information that if applied, will shatter that | | | | conservatively another 30 to 40 hours of someone's |
| competition. But, first I want to really give you some | | | | time. They should (and most do) eventually follow up, |
| good insider perspective. | | | | but it's not going to be their first priority. |
| Let's do some quick math. If the person who is | | | | One more thing to consider, all this work I've |
| screening Resumes only spends 2 minutes per | | | | described is only for one position that they may have |
| Resume to quickly scan it, that's about 33 to 50 | | | | open. Most Companies (and Recruiting Firms) are |
| hours just looking at Resumes. Do you think the | | | | Hiring for multiple positions at a time. Not hearing |
| person doing this task only has one responsibility? No! | | | | back from a Company right away doesn't necessarily |
| They are probably only allotted 4 hours/day at most, | | | | mean you're "not a fit". |
| to do this task. | | | | Stay tuned for part 2 of this article where I walk |
| After the quick 2 minute scan to decide who is in the | | | | you through what I've labeled as the Pre-Interview |
| "move forward" pile and who's in the "not a fit" pile, | | | | Test and how to make sure you pass it every time. |