Most candidates think the job search is about them — to find the next job to escape unemployment or to take that next step in their career.
That perspective is wrong and will only prolong a candidate’s search or thwart his/her plans for advancement.
Employers are not in the social welfare business. They recruit executives because they have a need. A need to fill a position, problems to solve, or plans to be fulfilled. They are focused on those issues. To be blunt, they do not really care if an executive is approaching the cliff of chronic unemployment, or about the ambitions of an up and comer. They are singularly focused on one thing: to recruit and retain an executive who can produce results and be a kid glove fit for the organization.
Candidates, this is what you should remember:
- Do your homework. Understand the employer’s needs and what they are looking for skills-wise to achieve their goals. Remember, it is not about YOU
- Craft a resume that highlights your strengths, validates them with quantifiable results, and connect those with the needs of the individual employer
Employers will never know if you send the same resume with no individual editing to every potential employer but I guarantee you it will only prolong your job search. Plus, you will know that you failed to take the initiative to show each employer that you have the skills to help solve HIS/HER problems.
Why would anyone want to hire an executive who lacks that basic level of initiative? What does that say about the candidate?