How to Get Past the Gatekeeper
So, you're looking to make your next big career move. If you’re thinking of applying for a position through The Carlisle Group (or another executive recruitment firm), you’ll often have to go through someone like me before you even get to one of the recruiters (or as we like to call them, “Search Consultants”). Although my official role at TCG is “Internet Researcher,” I’m basically the gatekeeper. In a nutshell, it’s my job to source resumes from the internet, post job ads and screen the responses.
On any given day, the first thing I do when I step into my office and start up my computer is check my email. A number of the hundreds of resumes I look at everyday are generated from candidates like you who are interested in our jobs and apply via job postings. So, I would like to give you a few tips to make sure your resume makes it past the gatekeeper and into the hands of the Search Consultant.
Here are my top six ways to rise to the top.
1- Make the distinction between an Executive Recruitment Firm and a Staffing/Temp Agency, and choose the correct fit for your job search. For starters, recruitment firms like TCG tend to search for higher level positions with more of a focus on management to C-suite. Staffing/Temp agencies often work with more admin-level, or hourly, candidates and can tend to focus on short-term placement rather than full-time.
2- Don’t miss important details on your resume – make sure you stand out. For example, if you’re applying for a construction job, include a project list! A project manager is a project manager. I need to know what kind of projects you managed.
3- List your most relevant experience first on your resume! Remember how I mentioned the hundreds of emails job applications I see every day? I really only have time to look at the first couple of jobs on your resume. Typically anything past that gets overlooked. So if you list your most relevant experience first, even if it was a few years ago, you have a better shot of making it through my filter.
4- Your resume should be written in the same language as the job posting. If the job posting is in English, make sure your resume is, too. This might sound like an obvious request, but I’ve come across the opposite situation more times than I’d like to admit.
5- Make sure what you send me is actually your resume. If you aren’t 100% sure, try emailing the attachment to yourself first and make sure it’s the right document. I’ve seen everything from blank templates to personal documents.
6- And while you’re at it… send your resume as a Word Document or PDF. Please don’t send me a picture of your resume that you took with your phone.
Well, there you have it! I hope these tips will help you in your next job search, and perhaps I will be seeing your resume very soon. Please reach out to me if you have any questions on this topic or a related one -- I wish you the best!