It’s a Candidate’s Market

07-15-2022 | Brier Haigh

Written by: Alison Ford

It’s no secret that there is a severe shortage in candidates in every industry.  This makes it a great job market for job seekers.  Outstanding news, right?   You can have your pick of jobs!  Wait… not so fast.  Even though there are more jobs than candidates, that doesn’t ensure that you will get the job.  In fact, many qualified candidates never even make it to the interview stage of the process and probably wonder why.Why would a qualified candidate not be interviewed?  It happens more than one would think.  Here are some tips to get you in front of the hiring manager and beyond.

1. The latest and greatest!  Make sure your resume is up to date, including all of your experience that relates to the job for which you apply.  Candidates sometimes think that the rule of thumb is to keep a resume short, 1 page if possible.  WRONG!  This is an antiquated practice.  You want to show all of your experience not only so that the recruiter / hiring manager can see the full scope of your experience but also salaries are calculated based on experience.
2. Here I am!  Make it as easy as possible to be reached.  Recruiters are flexible, they will use any means necessary to reach a candidate but it’s up to the candidate not to hamper that effort.  Make sure that the email address on your resume is correct, that your voice mail is set up and that the voice mail box is not full.  If a prospective employer has challenges connecting with you, they’re going to be onto the next candidate.
3. Who’s this now?  Make sure that you use your own email address and not a friend or family member.   If your name changed, update the name on your email.  You always want the name on the application to match the name on the email that you’re using for your job search.  Also, keep the email address name professional.  Prospective employers may think twice before setting up an interview with beerguzzler69@aol.com.  It’s very easy to set up a new email address with your name and you can use this email solely for your job search.
4. Respond!  Even if you land your dream job while you’re still in the interview process with other companies at which you applied, respond to all recruiters / hiring managers for the jobs for which you’re removing yourself from the running.  A short, honest and simple email, as a professional courtesy will go a long way.  The recruiter will have no way of knowing you’re no longer interested in an opportunity unless you speak up.   Also, if your dream job falls through, you want to be in good standing with all the other organizations for which you applied.

It’s a small world after all!   If you ghost the recruiter and / or a hiring manager before or after an interview or offer, it very well could come back to haunt you [pun intended].  All industries are smaller worlds than you think.  You will inevitably come across the same people in different organizations if you are in any industry for a few years.  If you come to a decision that you’re moving on from a job opportunity and you ghost a recruiter and / or a hiring manager, you will live to regret this if / when you encounter that same recruiter or manager down the road.  Your behavior, good, bad or indifferent will certainly be a factor into your chances at being hired or even considered by these professionals in the future.

Good luck on your job search!