A Hiring Manager Has a Tough Job

This is what it looks like from the Human Resources side.

A hiring manager has to work long hours, interview job applicants regularly, make hiring decisions that are sometimes very difficult and they have to meet with managers throughout the company in which they work to learn more about job vacancies. Hiring managers are not in an enviable position.

Have you ever thought about what happens when a hiring manager makes a bad hiring choice? Their whole job relies upon them making good hiring decisions.
That’s why a hiring manager has to be diligent about the resumes they select and the candidates they interview. Their job can be on the line if a candidate does not work out – especially if the position is a high-level executive.

For every open position at a company, stacks of resumes can be received for consideration. If an individual had to read each of those resumes, it would take far more time than any Human Resource Department has. That
s why the initial screening of each resume is a quick process – usually merely seconds. Anything that stands out (in a bad way) will cause the resume to be purged from the resume pile.

During the initial resume review, the screener is also looking for keywords that attest to your having knowledge of and/or experience handling the responsibilities of the position. Some of those keywords may reflect accomplishments while others define your ambition. You have to do the research to know what the employer is looking for in a candidate.

Do you think a hiring manager is going to give you the benefit of the doubt when he or she has over a hundred other resumes to consider? There is no incentive to do that. It's easier to simply grab another resume from the stack.

It is because the hiring process is handled in this way that your resume has to be excellent. It has to be professional and it has to be targeted to the position you are seeking.

The best thing you can do is to make sure your resume is blemish-free and includes the appropriate keywords for your field/industry. Make it easy for the hiring manager to want to read your resume.

If you can make it past that initial resume review, you have a much better chance of being called for an interview. That's the whole purpose of the resume. You can do this!