The reason it's a complete waste of time is because everyone else is doing it too. There are thousands of applicants all applying to thousands of jobs. Recruiters and HR professionals now say it's common to get hundreds or in some cases thousands of resumes in response to a posting on Monster or CareerBuilder. Then they use search engines to try and sift through them and find a few candidates to "move forward" in the process. The rest get a pleasant system personalized rejection letter from the applicant tracking system. I don't know about you but I don't like the odds of one in a hundred or worse one in a thousand.
Then the process gets worse. If you make it through the search engines and other filters, you'll get a phone interview. Not one with the hiring decision maker but either an HR representative or other screener. You are still just one of a crowd and many small things can disqualify you. If you make it through the first "phone screen" interview, you may get another phone interview but probably still not with the hiring decision maker probably a lower ranking person in the same department. Again many things can disqualify you. If you make it through the second phone screen you may get an in person screening interview but again still not with the hiring decision maker. If you make it through the in person screening interview, then you may actually get to talk for the hiring decision maker. You'll see me use the phrase "hiring decision maker" many times because this is the person whose opinion matters the most. Another name for this person is "your future boss". This is the only interview where you can actually win the job. Your future boss is not going to let someone else hire you. They live with the decision every day. While the others can only disqualify or pass you along, the hiring decision maker is the one you want to talk with to win the job (and to determine if really want it).
Now realize that before you get to talk to the hiring decision maker there is likely another candidate talking to the hiring decision maker long before you. While you came through the pipe that started with multiple automated and human filters giving the hiring decision maker the impression there are thousands of faceless candidates just dying to take this job, the other candidate was recommended by someone hiring decision maker knows and trusts. While you had to run the gauntlet the other candidate is already fast tracked to the final step. This is the guy or gal you want to be not one of the thousands. This is the preferred candidate. The one they are looking forward to interviewing. The one who’s job it is for the taking. The one who is in the lead and the others have to overcome.
How do you get to be the preferred candidate? Read my next post.
