As a career counselor, I frequently tell job seekers that they should try to put themselves in the shoes of a hiring manager. Rather than approaching your job search and communicating to prospective employers that you’re trying to figure out what’s best for you, it is so much more effective to present your skills in a way that shows what’s in it for the companies.
Of course, this is tricky business because, well, who knows what hiring managers are thinking? To shed some light on the topic, here’s a walk-through of the process many hiring managers go through before extending a job offer—and, more importantly, how to stand out in each step.
Step 1: Review Resumes and Cover Letters
Say you’re a hiring manager who doesn’t have the luxury of working with a recruiting team. That means going through a pile of hundreds of resumes and cover letters and scanning for specific experience or particular skills. (Even hiring managers who do get to work with recruiters and applicant tracking systems inevitably have to review lots of job application materials.)
