If you want to succeed in most human interactions, looking at things from another person’s perspective will do you well. So, if you are looking for a job, think about how the task of hiring looks from the standpoint of those who are charged to make it happen. Here’s a snapshot look at it through the lens of some of the key players.
[See: The 8 Stages of a Winning Job Search.]
Hiring Manager. This is the person who heads the department where you want to work, and to whom the person who is hired will likely report. He or she is probably very busy and stressed because somehow the work that needs to get done either isn’t getting done on time, or perhaps, even at all. They are dealing with a disgruntled staff that is likely overworked filling in for an employee who has left the job, or who likely will be leaving soon.
They want to hire someone yesterday, but might be frustrated by any number of things, such as not having enough money in the budget to pay today’s going rate for the job to be filled, or having an HR department that works with the speed of gooey molasses at ferreting out the good resumes from the also-rans.
The hiring manager wants to know that the person hired does the same or very similar work currently or has in the recent past, that they are reliable, trustworthy, and able to fit in to the work environment and the existing team structure. They want to know that it makes sense to hire you for the job, and that it makes sense for you to want to stay in the job for a reasonable period of time. And most of all, they want to know that you won’t skip out to another position in order to get just a small raise.
[See: 10 Things New Grads Can Do Right Now to Get a Job.]
Human Resources Professional. The HR team is charged with keeping the hiring process fair and non-discriminatory. HR typically wants to run the whole hiring process, from receiving and tracking all the candidates to assuring that the hiring manager does their job correctly. The HR team controls the applicant tracking system, which enables them to document their processes and mitigate any corporate liability.
HR will have a say in your salary if you’re hired, and may determine whether you’re a positive fit for the company. Their primary role is to make sure that an office is running smoothly and professionally.
Department Heads. They typically are provided their headcount numbers and overall salary limitations from the executive office. Since they often have profit and loss responsibilities, they are incentivized to keep headcount and salaries to a minimum. And, since they are responsible for the overall operations of their departments, they are especially risk-averse to hiring less than sure-fit candidates.
All this is important to you, the job hunter. When you realize that hiring authorities need to understand not just your prior responsibilities, but how you fulfilled them, you’ll understand how little resume statements that begin with “Responsible for …” do to advance your case.
They need to understand how well you worked with others on your current or previous teams. That’s why you’ll benefit by sharing the challenges you confronted at different points in your career, and what you did to meet them.
[See: 10 Things Your Mom Didn’t Teach You About Job Searching.]
They also need to understand that you actually obtain positive results when you apply yourself to the tasks at hand.
If you limit yourself to three or four key bullet points in a resume, you’ll be able to convey your story of challenges, actions and results in each of them and make a truly sound case for being considered.
Happy hunting!
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How to Analyze Your Job Search From the Company Perspective originally appeared on usnews.com
