I was talking with a Hiring Managers from one of the top Gaming companies in the country. I'm not a gamer myself, but even I know of the games they have produced.
He was sharing his frustration over the terrible resumes that he's received. He said most of them look like they've just been blasted around. The writers didn't take any time to customize the resumes for the actual job they had posted. There was no connection, at least that he could see, so, on to the next.
I asked him about the recent hires they had made and where they had come from. No surprise, connections. Several of the last candidates were recruited out of a college they had recruited from before with fantastic results. Several more were referrals and only 2 were sourced through online job postings.
Then he told me this story. He was talking with someone at a college that has a gaming curriculum. He mentioned that he wanted to find another "Alex". Alex was a star employee they had hired and he described the successes, attitude and skills that made "Alex" so valuable. (By the way, "Alex" had started as an intern.) A few days later, the person he was speaking with said, "We have an 'Alex', want to meet her?" In deed, "Alex" was hired…during a hiring freeze.
I love this story because it highlights how hiring is happening. Word of mouth among industry Hiring Managers, or friends, or past colleagues or…
Cultural fit is also important. Many of the resumes and candidates my Hiring Manager friend saw were not the right fit. He even said, if any of these candidates had researched my company, they would have realized we don't need them.
Take aways:
- Customize your resume and remove language that is confusing or irrelevant.
- Connect (meaningfully) with industry players through any means possible
- Be known for the right things
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
