That's right. You read the title of this post correctly - HIRING MANAGERS DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU. There are a number of decisions that go into a HR recruiter or hiring manager's decision to call an applicant in for an interview and being a qualified employee is all the way at the bottom of the list. If it were just a matter of the candidate being qualified, the job search process would be way easier than it currently is. However, I'd be willing to bet thateach of you can think of at least one person in your circle (perhaps maybe even yourself) who is struggling to find a new job even though she can check off every qualification listed in the job description and has been nothing but a #boss employee for all of her professional life!
Please don't misunderstand my message here. It is very important for you to KILL IT at work. Your goal should absolutely be to execute every project and assignment flawlessly, but the track record of being an outstanding employee is not enough to get you your next gig.
So what then is the secret ingredient to landing an interview? It's simple. WIFM. What's. In. It. For. Me. This is what the hiring manager is thinking when s/ he is skimming through your resume and it's what needs to be in your head before you hit the "apply now" button.
Instead of focusing your resume on summarizing how special you are and reiterating everything you've done since graduation, the focus should beon showing the hiring manager how your past experiences (professional, educational, and volunteer) will be an asset to the company.
What good is a 10 year run of outstanding career achievements if you aren't able to express (during the 6 seconds it takes to decide whether or not to pass on your resume) what you will do to help drive the department forward?
As you sit down to update your resume for your next job application, you should have one goal in mind as you go over your bullet points - What's in it for the hiring manager.
