Hiring Help – What To Look For In Applicants’ Resumes And Cover Letters

Recruiting for an open position in your company can be hard work. Even though on the face of it, going through all of the resumes and cover letters that you receive won’t be especially taxing, it can actually end up being a lot of work. You will have to read through them all in full to make sure that you don’t miss any detail. If you receive a large number of applicants for just one position, this can become very time consuming.

It’s really worth putting in the time and going through all of the resumes and cover letters as thoroughly as possible, though. It’s the only way you can whittle all of the candidates down into a shortlist of individuals who have the right kinds of skills and experience for the job.

It might be painstaking work, but these are things that you need to look out for when you are going through resumes and cover letters.

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Spelling And Grammar Errors

Any spelling or grammar errors that you notice in either the resume or cover letter should be a red flag. This either shows carelessness and that the candidate has not bothered to review and edit their writing, or it shows that they lack the necessary writing skills. Either way, there is little chance that you will want to interview this candidate, so disregard their application.

Relevant Previous Experience

All of the top candidates will have been able to list relevant work experience. This could be from previous jobs or internships and work-experience placements that they took at school or college. It’s always best to consider people who have some solid work experience for the job as they will be able to quickly adapt to working life in an office. Those who lack this experience might struggle to adjust, and this could result in them taking a lot longer to settle into the role in a productive way.

Check Social Media Too

These days, it is also a good idea to go online and check out a candidate’s social media profiles. You might notice that they have voiced some opinions that are not suitable for the working world and with which you do not want your company to be associated. Be sure to look at professional social media networks as well, such as this professional profile, as there might be a lot of extra information on them that is not mentioned in either their resume or cover letter.

Examples Of Skills Mentioned On Your Job Description

In the original job description that you posted to advertise the open position, you will have listed some of the desirable skills that you want applicants to possess. When you are reading through everyone’s resume and cover letter, be sure to check off when each of these skills are mentioned. They should also give a real-life example of using this skill in a professional environment.

Hopefully, looking out for all of these points above can help you hire the best candidate for the job!

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