Consult Carson 4/30/15: “Why do I get rejected for jobs I am perfectly qualified for?”

From today’s mailbag: “Why do I keep getting rejected for jobs I am perfectly qualified for? I don’t even get a response the majority of the time!”

Carson: I believe this has been upgraded to the eighth wonder of the world… though, after years of being on both sides of the coin I don’t wonder about it anymore.

Think about it this way. Yes, you applied to a job you are qualified for – heck, maybe overly qualified for. Depending on unemployment rates at any given moment, you are one of 100 to 1,000 people who likely applied to that role. You are up against a human resources automated system that is designed to eliminate candidates based on not having the right buzz words, experience or degrees. Literally, it’s like Han Solo navigating through the asteroid field in Empire Strikes Back; though, they had a Wookiee so I’d place more money on them.

No hiring manager wants to sift through 1,000 resumes; honestly, they sometimes do not even have time to interview all 50 who may be quality candidates! This is why it is so important to stand out in every single way possible. This is also why hiring managers often hire referrals or someone they know; it’s someone who has been deemed worthy of the job versus the unknown: you. Video resumes, networking to expand your network, truly utilizing your network and staying in touch with them even when you don’t need them for something, applying to 1,000 jobs instead of just 10 and wondering why you’re not getting a call…. THAT is how you land a job. For those who have any length to their career, you know that most roles you landed were due to knowing someone. For the ones when you did not, something about you stood out. Either way, it’s a brutally challenging numbers game that you cannot win without tipping the odds in your favor.

Like anything, it comes down to as effective a process as possible; the best possible approach (resume, cover letter, other attention-grabbers) the most number of times with strong follow up and effective interviewing skills. Don’t get attached to ANY job – before, during or even after several interviews – until you get the job offer. Until that moment, you must put a full court press on your turbocharged process.

And….. GOOD LUCK!

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Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership. You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving. You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page:

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

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