Candidate Rules of Engagement: Breaking Through the Noise

The competition for jobs has swelled. As we reported a few weeks ago, the number of applications recruiters receive for a given position has more than doubled since 2007 (average of 70 in 2007 vs. 162 in 2009). Further, a large portion of these applicants are unqualified. In a recent RR survey of more than 400 recruiting professionals, over half reported 15% or less of the applications they recently received even meet basic qualifications.

How can candidates make recruiters lives easier and increase their chances of getting noticed? Below are recruiting professionals’ recommendations for candidates.

• Focus on your resume/CV first and foremost. Over 61% of recruiters say a really good cover letter does not matter.
• Only apply for positions where you meet most of the qualifications.
• Tailor your resume/CV to the job.
• During interviews, be very specific in examples of your previous experience.

Check out all the results of the Recruiting Roundtable’s Candidate Rules of Engagement Survey.