Finding a Job Is a Nonsport Competition

  • 1 min read

In principle, getting hired is a simple two-step process: creating an attractive enough resume to be invited for a job interview and then acing it. In practice, getting hired is significantly more difficult because many people are competing for the same single job opening.

Relative to the vast number of available résumés, only a minuscule fraction of them are good enough to compel the reader to further explore the individual’s candidacy. And then, once in the race, the candidate faces another competition by needing to outshine the others who interview for the same job. There are two filters to penetrate, and this is where the challenge comes in.

Very few people can write their own résumé at a level that is convincing enough to propel it to the second step, which is the job interview. The solution here is to identify an excellent professional résumé writer. Writing a results-producing résumé is not a hobby; it’s a profession that requires training, experience, various certifications, and, most important, a knack or aptitude for it. Not all certified résumé writers are good at it despite the fact that they practice. Such it is in all professions of course. So it’s up to you to find one who has a good reputation. Ask for the opinions of friends and other associates who’ve used them, and check them out on LinkedIn. Good résumé writers are busy and not cheap. You can expect to pay from $200 to $1200 depending on the complexity, but most charge $400 to $500. From my experience when it comes to output the adage of “you get what you pay for” holds true.

And then comes the crucial step: impressing the interviewer enough not only to cause him to want to hire you but also to want to sell you to his boss, his human resources contact person, and your future peers. To achieve the “sale,” you have to have not only the right set of accomplishments but also the right communication skills, personal presence, aura, and personality. Learning how to convey those right elements and to keep practicing them may land you the job.  You may have your own experiences.  I would love to read your comments.

Picture of Alex Freund

Alex Freund

Alex Freund is a career and interviewing coach known as the “landing expert” for publishing his 80 page list of job-search networking groups. He is prominent in a number of job-search networking groups; makes frequent public presentations, he does workshops on resumes and LinkedIn, teaches a career development seminar and publishes his blog focused on job seekers. Alex worked at Fortune 100 companies headquarters managing many and large departments. He has extensive experience at interviewing people for jobs and is considered an expert in preparing people for interviews. Alex  is a Cornell University grad, lived on three continents and speaks five languages.

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