Some of these issues may be familiar to you; others may surprise you because very few interviewers are willing to provide candid feedback to candidates. There are many criteria for the rejection of job search, which are nowhere to be read. Responsible persons generally gave precise ideas about who they want to hire, and also regarding age, gender and origin. I will tell you nothing new?
Clear ideas of the desired candidate
While I was working as a mediator, I got a call from an entrepreneur who was looking for an assistant with reception tasks. He expressed his ideas clearly:
- Training is clear,
- Knowledge of English,
- blond,
- no piercings, tattoos or anything,
- no dialect,
- and as close as possible to 90 / 60 / 90.
His reasoning was that his demands were closely tied to his clientele with whom he was working.
Reasons for special needs?
Customers are not always the rationale for such claims; experience, the existing team or personal preferences play a role. Imagine, you have a team in which everything is very harmonious, everything runs smoothly, there are no clashes and no rifts, also not in professional terms.
Fresh wind in the team or rather stability?
The team result shows that these have settled at a consistently medium level. They decide that fresh wind must come in here. In the selection process, therefore, pay attention to an applicant who brings these skills.
Or: In a department is always a high fluctuation, because the boss is a rather choleric leadership style. In the selection process, you will pay more attention to applicants who leave a stable impression that you can trust with this boss.
What nobody tells you
You see, in the selection process, considerations also play a role that you can not see from the outside and will never see. I myself have been invited to talks for various reasons, which have not always had something to do with my professional life.
What you can do to influence the selection positively
Once it was because I lived in the same street as the decision maker. Often because of my Crimean passion, which I describe in my CV. But there are also a number of choices that you can influence.
A decisive criterion for the selection of applicants is still the photo. As soon as a photo is on the application, the viewer is strongly tempted to make a hasty judgment. Because “a picture is worth a thousand words” is not just a phrase.
Look into my eyes…
Everyone can be guided by external characteristics, of which a personnel decision is not released. Whoever has to make a decision in the shortest possible time is more likely to look into the face rather than the text, at least in the first step.
Even though many people now deny the importance of the photo, the practice speaks a different language. So if you think that the photo has lost its meaning and the selection is made solely by notes and expertise, that is naive.
Photos get more attention
When evaluating user behavior, experts have determined that profiles with a photo are clicked three times as many as profiles without a photo. If personals receive an application without a photo, they ask themselves, whether consciously or not, why the applicant has omitted the photo. It’s not about beauty or perfection. Sympathy, competence and personality are the decisive factors.
Actually, in times of imminent skills shortages, one should assume that the selection criteria would be reconsidered. Yes, I agree with you, but experience shows that it is far from being the case everywhere.
Prejudiced prejudices
I remember a case, I call it Harald J. As soon as a boss got his application on the table, it said: independently, who can not say anything more, who is stuck in his views – reject. And how did the applications of another case, I call him Matthias? If he was in another industry, the statement was: no industry background, what would our employees do if he did not know what it was for us? In the same industry he was known and had experienced his gradual decline – so no interest.
Then the applications came below his former position: if he applied under his position, then there was something lazy, too far away from the operative business, we can not pay – thank you no.
What have you done?
CV and cover letter also offer the employer a lot of attack surface. If he does not know what you have to offer him, he will reject you. No info about activities – refuse. No common thread – reject.
It is expected that you will be in the company, recognize and show what you can contribute to the success of the company. He does not want to know everything about you, but only what is important for his company and the place to be assigned. Through extensive essays or multi-page CVs, he is basically not tormented.
With a concise, meaningful and clear presentation of the relevant skills and experiences, you put it on the pile: Interesting.
Watch this video on CV writing:
Summary
As a rule, you do not know who decides on your applications. There are many reasons that are for, but also enough, that speak against a candidate.
A large undifferentiated spread brings frustration rather than success. Accurate knowledge of one’s own experience, knowledge and inclination together with a thorough research of the market situation and a precise application arrive at the goal.
By Petra Barsch