5 Reasons Why That Perfect Resume Isn't Working

John Krautzel
Posted by in Career Advice


You may spend hours trying to write the perfect resume by finding the correct keywords from the job description, formatting the right font and talking to your professional references. All of this attempts to take your job search to the next level so you land that all-important interview.

Even if you take your vital document to a professional job recruiter for guidance, your perfect resume could still fail to deliver. The good news is that your failure is not the fault of your resume. Although your work of art may have all the right formatting, proofreading and eye for detail it can stand, the bad news is you may have to retool your job search to cater to five things that human resources managers use before looking through a stack of resumes.

1. Employee Referrals

Employees at a firm may refer viable candidates to HR as a way to speed up the job search process. If the supervisor and HR manager already have a candidate in mind, that makes hiring someone much easier if the potential hire wants the job. Once the person has the job, the best resumes in the world do not matter. Instead of making the ideal resume, build relationships at firms.

2. Existing Candidates from Previous Openings

Human resources already weeded out dozens — if not hundreds — of candidates from previous postings. The department's database still has these people in the computer system. The runner-up from the last time HR went through the hiring process could remain the front-runner for this round. If the person fits, no one else has to wade through resumes.

3. Internal Candidates

You sometimes hear about a job posting open to internal candidates first before a company searches for people outside the firm. An external job search may never post, or the company could remove the posting quickly, if an internal candidate makes the grade. Internal success obviates the need to open the posting up to everyone, except to fill the lower-level position vacated by the internal promotion.

4, Seeking Experts

Firms, agencies or institutions may have a specific person in mind and recruit that candidate solely on that person's publicly posted credentials. This method works for experts in a certain field that meet the criteria of the employer. Employers that work in specialized fields such as academia, research, engineering, fundraising and politics may already have someone in mind without turning to the general public for applications.

5. Cull the Competition

Companies may seek employees from rival companies that already have a similar position, relevant background and job experience. This shortens the job search considerably as human resources departments pore through Internet sources, social media and LinkedIn profiles to match ideal candidates with positions. The hardest part of this process becomes luring someone away from the other company with the right benefits package. The rival company already did the hard work of vetting the candidate in the first place, so all an HR department has to do is make the right moves.

A perfect-looking resume gets you one step closer to a job interview when all other candidates are equal. When a nontraditional job search finds the ideal candidate despite the polished resume, alter your strategy, make connections with companies and try again.


Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Eliot thanks for your comment as it is right on. I feel the same way that you do. Why get a canned thanks but no thanks letter which makes you sit and wonder and worry about why you were not qualified; what did the other person have that you didn't; what do you need to do to get noticed and contacted at least for the first interview?!! But some people need that closure before they can move on. For me, if I haven't heard anything back in a few weeks, I just close that one out and move on. Never sit and wait for a response from any company. Just keep searching and applying for other positions. Even if you get an interview with a company, don't stop looking. So many people figure that since they got their foot in the door with an interview that they are in. Not true. So thank you again and I hope others will read this.

  • Eliot S.
    Eliot S.

    It is true that most companies don't send out rejection letters. The ones that do, almost unanimously, send out the typical "Although your credentials are impressive.... We will keep your resume on file...." These are canned letters, most auto-generated. How is that any better than nothing at all. Personally, I would rather not hear than get a rejection letter. They are downers. The most important thing is not to take it personally. After all, they don't know you. Out of all the applicants, they had to pick someone. What the decision was based on, who knows? You just didn't happen to be the one picked. Move on.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Stephanie I would agree with you. Unfortunately companies don't agree. They receive thousands of resumes for just one job posting. It's really not feasible for them to send out rejection letters. You wouldn't be happy with a standard canned rejection letter, either which is the only way companies could possibly keep up. I do agree that if you have an interview but are not chosen, that common courtesy would dictate that they send out a rejection letter. Sorry to say that most don't do that, either. Make sure you ask what the next steps are during the interview and get a date when you can call back for the final answer. Best of luck.

  • Stephane B.
    Stephane B.

    I'm finding over the past few years, that fewer and fewer companies (small and large) don't even send out rejection letters anymore. Resumes and applications just disappear into a black hole. At least a few companies are honest enough by stating outright, only those deemed worthy will be contacted.But if you get an interview, I feel it is common courtesy that a rejection letter should be sent out.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Leslie it certainly can be frustrating. At the end of the interviews did you ask what the next steps were? Did you get a business card of the interviewer(s) so that you could call or email them? Make sure that you are doing your due diligence too. But honestly I wouldn't wait on that company. I would be applying and interviewing at other jobs. If you get an offer, you can call the first company and let them know that you received another offer and find out if they are still interested in you. Wouldn't it be nice to entertain two offers?!!! Best of luck.

  • Leslie Curtin
    Leslie Curtin

    What I find to be even more frustrating is sending a resume, having an interview, or in some cases two or three with people higher up on the chain of command and receiving NO follow up as to whether or not the position has been filled. It's just bad manners.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for the comments. It can be frustrating to learn that a company is only posting jobs and doing interview because the law requires it when, in fact, they already know who they are going to place into the open position. But that's not always the case. External candidates can bring so much more to the table than an internal candidate and you just need to make sure that the interviewer knows that. Show how you can go over and above what they job description states. @Carmen just continue looking around and applying. What about through your college? They always have job postings. Are they helping you out? There are so many sources out there to help people find jobs. Keep looking and checking; keep asking around. Don't forget to network! Are you on LinkedIn? That would be a great way to find out who a manager of a particular company is Carmen. Then you could attempt to get a resume to the manager through LinkedIn or maybe find someone in the company that you already know who can submit your resume for you. So many ways around these things. Keep looking, keep applying and you will be the next one to say "I'm Hired!"

  • Carmen B.
    Carmen B.

    Right now my resume is simple it is to the point. My career advisor at Miller -Motte Technical College help me with the resume Dec 23, 2014. So resume can help it will be. Maybe if I knew the manger it can help me a lot. So what it is out there if it is good to know someone.

  • Mohammed H.
    Mohammed H.

    You are write

  • KIESSA BIDZOUTA R.
    KIESSA BIDZOUTA R.

    It is frustrating .. that means the outside people does not have a chance to get a job...For my case I posted I think one hundred job until now I did not get any one interview...

  • abraham d.
    abraham d.

    I applied to a company,told to go for an interview which I did,sometime there is a person within the company that is qualified for the new position,It is frustrating to be external applicant.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks everyone for the great comments. Sure do hear your frustration. It is frustrating to be out there trying to find a position but feeling like you aren't getting anywhere. No @Kristopher this article is not saying that outsiders don't have a chance. Sometimes there is a person within the company that is qualified for the new position and yes, they will have a better chance because they are a known entity while you are unknown. Most companies will try to hire from within, if possible. Companies must post a position even if they are already planning to hire from within. Sorry folks but it's the law. However, that doesn't meant that they won't take a look at you also and even consider you for a position that may not even be posted. So please, by all means, continue to apply even if you are overqualified @Kathleen. This is just one article and one opinion. There is no real right or wrong here- just what feels right for the particular position. So don't let this get you down. Keep applying and you will be the next one to post here - I got a job!

  • Kathleen L.
    Kathleen L.

    I applied to a job at the company, told I was a little overqualified - applied to same job one level up and told by Sr. HR at that company that since I had just interviewed for similar position that will not be sending me on another interview there!

  • Tania P.
    Tania P.

    is so fustrating..........

  • Kristopher Y.
    Kristopher Y.

    So what you're saying is 1) outside people don't have a shot. 2) You have have sex with the right person to have a shot or 3) Apply for welfare.

  • Marie G.
    Marie G.

    I think as, some of us are scared of challenges the industries are also scared of outside candidate with too much knowledge and experiences. This is sad, you want the best you want challenges but you are so scared. Because someone have experience in every branch in the field, and speak multi-languages don't reject their applications don't worry about they are coming to take over your place or you job think this is an opportunity for changes and growths and stop the discrimination.

  • Mohammad Zubair Y A.
    Mohammad Zubair Y A.

    After sending the resume at a lot of firms in the industry after doing post doc research fellowship from Columbia Ophthalmology, i agree with what you have written above and secondly there i a lot of bias in selecting a candidate regarding the ethnicity or if the candidate is slim or obese,it is not true with what they write in the application that do not discriminate.

  • Eliot S.
    Eliot S.

    I have never experienced #2. In the several organizations where I have worked and was involved in the hiring process (not as HR), a rejected candidate is seen as always rejected. "If they weren't good enough before, why would they be good enough now?" They don't even look in the "stored" applications. Personally, I have never been contacted by a company for another position once I was initially rejected for a previous one. However, twice, when I applied to another position with the same company, I was contacted after having been rejected for the first one. Does anybody really take that "However, we will keep your resume on file....." line seriously?

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