Ever applied for a job, interviewed, and never heard back — only to see the same job re-posted with a different job title or modified description weeks later on the company’s website? If yes, you are not alone.

This is the third post in a five-part series designed to take you behind the scenes for an in-depth glimpse of what really happens behind closed doors as employers go through the hiring process. We’ve shared information about how jobs are created and how employers find employees. Today, we turn our attention to a persistent problem that takes place inside companies when recruiters, hiring managers, and senior executives aren’t on the same page.

Miscommunication in the workplace with regard to hiring decisions costs companies time and money in lost productivity each year, and leaves many great candidates on the sidelines scratching their heads. Here are three common scenarios that happen as companies hire — as well as tips on how to spot and address them.

1. The unadvertised opening – a job “you’ll be perfect for.”Over 1/4 of all hires come from referrals or recommendations of employees or trusted colleagues. In a perfect world, you mention an interest in a hypothetical job to a friend. Your friend knows of a job and recommends you. You give a friend a paper copy of your resume. You land an interview. And you get hired — without ever applying. Unfortunately, this rarely happens without a few bumps. The biggest reason why: A majority of U.S. employers must comply with EEOC and federal hiring guidelines which state that jobs have to be advertised, and that candidates can only be hired if they are official applicants. (Other obstacles to the “hire on recommendation” approach include other colleagues who don’t know you.)The fix:Submit your application materials to the company when you hear of an opening — even if you have a friend who already works there and has offered to put your resume on the CEO’s desk. Apply through official channels, even if it is only a matter of submitting your resume and a letter of interest to HR. Don’t be afraid to drop names in your cover letter or e-mails: Make it clear who alerted you to the potential opening, and — ideally — state how you know them.
2.  The position that disappears — only to be re-listed after you’ve applied and/or interviewed.This is a tricky one, since employers re-post positions for multiple reasons: Perhaps the hiring manager decided the job required a different skill set, perhaps the job did not get posted on the right websites to comply with company policies, perhaps the CEO of the company wanted to see additional candidates…The list goes on.You’ll never know what happened unless you ask.The fix: Be direct with the company. Call HR or the Hiring Manager. Ask about the status of the position. State your continued interest in the job and provide information about any communication you’ve had with them. Ask if you can — and should reapply. (Tip: Don’t leave a message or send an e-mail. Easier to get a direct response when you call and ask — in person!)
3. The perpetual job opening.Ever seen the same job listed in the paper — every day for a year? It could be a sign of a scam, or a job search that is on hold — or it could be the sign of a position where employers can’t keep new employees.The fix: See if you can find an inside connection to the hiring organization — and ask about the job before you apply. If you can’t find out any information, make sure it is not a scam.  (You can also seek out listings on sites that focus on providing new and current job listings. At StartWire, we only post positions that have been posted within two weeks!)

   When you do apply, don’t rely on that job application alone — apply to multiple positions and organizations at a time.

Have you ever experienced these challenges or any other “what happened” moments as a job search candidate? If yes, weigh in — we want to hear from you!

Ever see a job listing that looks like it was custom-made for your skills and experience? Sent in your resume, confident that your phone would ring within minutes — only to never hear back from the organization again?

When this happens, your first reaction may be: What’s wrong with me? More often than not, the answer is “nothing.” The problem is often the hiring process itself.

As part of our efforts to fix the process, we’ve put together a special series to take you behind the scenes for an in-depth glimpse of what employers look for when they hire. This is part two of that series.

Recently, we covered how a job description gets created and approved — and hinted at the problems caused when hiring managers change their mind about what they want to see in candidates as they progress through the hiring process. Today, we’re focusing on the next step in the process: What happens behind closed doors after the job gets approved?

From the surface, it looks like the hiring process is a simple one:

1. Job gets advertised.
2. Candidates apply.
3. Short list of candidates get interviewed.
4. Top candidate gets offered.

In reality, the process is often more complicated. First, before the job is advertised, employers typically set goals for gathering job applications. Recruiters and hiring managers often operate on what is known as the “100 to 8 to 3” system. Through this approach:

1. 100 or more candidates apply for the job.
2. 8 candidates are selected for phone screens.
3. 3 candidates are brought in for in-person interviews, with the goal of one offer being extended to fill the job!

To receive 100 or more applications, employers seek out applications from multiple advertising channels, including identifying potential candidates on LinkedIn and asking for word-of-mouth referrals to potential hires from current employees and friends.

As a candidate, it’s especially useful to come recommended via LinkedIn or a referral for two reasons:

1. LinkedIn is used by up to 93% of employers who use social media to “source” or identify potential candidates. (Source: JobVite, Social Recruiting Survey 2012)
2. StartWire CEO Chris Forman says, “Referrals are the #1 source of hires in corporate America. And for good reason. Research shows that ‘referral’ hires not only stay longer in their jobs, but perform better over the long term. Anytime you can get your application tagged as ‘referral’, your chances of getting to an interview sky rocket.”

To help you get referrals and LinkedIn recommendations, StartWire includes a free, built-in feature that helps you identify existing LinkedIn connections. To use this, simply connect your LinkedIn account to StartWire — then search jobs as you normally do. As you look at jobs, click the “Get Referrals” icon to see who you know and request an introduction.

If you don’t have a referral or know anyone, the fastest way to get to the top of the interview pile is to follow our two step process for success:

1. Identify the top keywords employers are looking for when they review applications by using this easy, five minute trick. Add the keywords to the top of your resume and make sure you also include them in your cover letter.
2. Use job alerts (you can set them up inside StartWire or on other job sites) to send you positions that match your job search interests. When you see a job that matches your interests, apply without delay. Want a good reason not to procrastinate? Last year, we analyzed data from over 6,600 hires — and found that 50% of successful candidates applied within one weekthat the job was listed. It pays to apply quickly because the candidates who are reviewed first often make the short list for phone screens.  If the short list is good enough, many employers don’t review applications received after the short list is created.

Finding referrals, using the right keywords, and applying early — all of these are short cuts to land on top of the phone screen pile. Next week, we’ll show you what to do if you pass these hurdles, but see the position stall out after your interview.

In the interim, let us know if you have further questions about the process or how to succeed in your search.

While big openings and companies hiring in volume make for good press, there are many great opportunities posted or available which get little or no airtime at all, even on corporate career sites. The number and frequency of hidden job opportunities is a topic of great debate. Today, we’re focusing on the back story of how these individual jobs get created. (This is the first post in a series of six designed to take you behind the scenes as employers advertise for positions and make hiring decisions.)

As we’ve mentioned before, searching for a job can be very much like looking for the right life partner: To create a sustainable long-term relationship, you both have to be open and willing to make a commitment to one another!

The first step in the hiring process at most organizations is deciding to hire: There must be a current opening, and a recognized need to fill the job. Just as companies don’t hire a recruiter unless they need to make enough hires to have a recruiter, there has to be enough work to do for the job to exist.

Here are some of the reasons employers create jobs:

1. To fill vacancies created by employees who leave for new opportunities or get promoted
2. They have enough work that they need to hire more people,
3. The organization is re-structuring and/or in growth mode to achieve new or aggressive company goals

The second step in the hiring process is nailing down the specifics of the job description.
What will the new hire do? Who will they report to? And what skills are most important?

The third step in the hiring process — what happens after you’ve applied and while you are waiting to hear back — is largely unknown to all but a select few inside the organization.

One of the biggest challenges in the hiring process is the chaos of the hiring process during the actual search. As Tom Brokaw once quipped in a commencement address to new college graduates,

Real life is junior high…filled with adolescent pettiness, pubescent rivalries, the insecurities of 13-year-olds and the false bravado of 14-year-olds.  Forty years from now, I guarantee it, you’ll still be making silly mistakes, you’ll have a temper tantrum, you’ll have your feelings hurt for some trivial slight, you’ll say something dumb and at least once a week you’ll wonder, “Will I ever grow up?”

Inside companies, it’s not uncommon for an employer to re-advertise a job weeks after it has been posted because they thought of additional “must-have” skills for candidates — after they’ve listed the position. It’s not unusual for employers to move a long-time employee into a job he isn’t trained for — simply to keep him on staff if his old job has been eliminated. Employers frequently extend their own hiring timelines — or downgrade their position requirements — when the money doesn’t come in as fast as they expected it to.

Bottom line: If you’re on the candidate side of the hiring equation, it can feel like it did in middle school when your date for the dance bailed on you…But it doesn’t have to feel that way.

Brokaw says you can counter the petty problems of the real world, if you are “always a grown-up” in your relationships with others. Next week, we’ll show you what employers look for, how to get noticed, and how to follow-up gracefully when you see signs of adolescence in your job search. Until then, share what’s feeling awkward to you in your job search: What makes you feel most in the dark when you apply for jobs?

There’s no getting around it: Applying for jobs can be a lonely and frustrating process. If you’ve ever experienced any of the following events, you are not alone:

1. You submit your job application and receive a perfunctory “don’t call us, we’ll call you” e-mail back.  You’re still waiting…

2. You get invited to interview. They tell you they will be making a decision next week. You’re still waiting…

3. You get asked for your references. Your references are called. You’re still waiting…

No matter how far you progress in the process — whether you’re asked for references or never even hear back on your application process — the silence of not hearing back from employers is difficult: It is ego-bruising, frustrating and most decidedly un-fun. In fact, StartWire was created to give you access to more information on your job application status where it’s available. We believe you have the right to know what’s happened to your application — throughout the job search process. Through our Application Connect program and sponsorship of the Candidate Experience Awards, we’re encouraging employers and hiring managers to treat job applicants like customers — not like the worst blind date they’ve ever had!

We’ve interviewed many companies who “get it” and who treat applicants like guests who deserve to be communicated with throughout the employment application process — from when you apply to when, and if, you are not selected. Smart companies, recruiters and hiring managers roll out the red carpet for every applicant — not just the ones who get the job. They recognize that even if they don’t have the right job for you now, they may need you later. They treat you as you wish to be treated, even if they don’t have the job for you now. Companies who are particularly good at this include Adidas, General Mills, Google, and Herman Miller.

Starting today, we’re kicking off a series designed to give you more than a glimpse on what happens behind the hiring curtain. Our goal is to demystify the process: From why it takes so long to get a job offer even when a company is ready to hire you to what it means when a job ad disappears and reappears with the same title, but a different job description.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be delving into specifics of what happens behind the curtain. Today, we begin with the job search equivalent of the dating aphorism, “sometimes the reason you don’t hear back has nothing to do with you — it’s all them!” Got a question? Please write a comment below or send us a private message through our Feedback channel.

It’s hard not to take it personally when you don’t hear back about a job, but often, there are a host of reasons you aren’t called that have nothing to do with you. From different perceptions on “what the ideal candidate should look like” inside an organization to changing corporate financial performance, goals, and even nepotism, hiring can be complicated.

We’ll delve into this, but as always — one of the best ways to ensure you stay in the game is to continue putting yourself out there — even when you haven’t heard back as you hoped. So even if you think a job offer is a virtual certainty, don’t be afraid to pursue more opportunities in the short term — having an abundance of options is rarely a bad thing! So get out there in the application pool, let us know what you’d like to know more about, and hold your head up high.

We’ve shared strategies on how to get a job after college and if you are over 50, but what should you do if you are searching for work mid-career?

On the surface, searching for a job in the middle of your working life should be easy: If you are like most of your peers, you have years of work experience. You have skills that are useful to employers. You’ve made mistakes and learned from them. You could likely coach your next boss on how to get the most work out of you: Are you most productive in predictable, consistent environments — or in fast-paced, “every day is a new day” work cultures?

It should be easy to find work in your 30’s and 40’s, but the mid-career job search comes with a unique set of challenges: How do you market yourself if you’ve worked in more than one industry or job role?  What do you do when your level of experience falls between entry-level and “highly experienced”? What do you do if you’ve needed to take time off to take care of children, aging parents, or you’ve switched course more than once in your career?

Here are three strategies you can use to build credibility and forge a strong path to your next opportunity.

1. Identify your optimal role before you apply — and get advice on how to make the jump.

While it may seem that your chances of getting hired increase if you are not picky about the type of job you will work in, in reality you have a better chance of landing — and keeping a job — when you know the type of role you work best in, how other people have marketed themselves for similar opportunities, and focus your efforts. It’s just like Olympic competitions: When the contestants know what they will be judged on, they focus their efforts on excelling in those areas. If the goal is to reach the pool wall fast enough, you don’t need to change the funny looking kick that speeds up your time.

How to do this: Seek out friends and networking contacts who’ve made transitions into roles that you want — and ask them for advice on how to market yourself for the opportunity. If you don’t know anyone, use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search features to find other people who have made transitions similar to the one that you want to make. Identify people to reach out to — and ask for an informational interview — on how to market yourself. (Note: This works best if you talk to people who used to work in companies or the position that you want to work in now. It doesn’t look good if you ask how you can be a great candidate, follow the advice and apply for the same opportunity next week! Make sure you always follow-up with a thank you and an offer to help your new friend if you can.)

2.  Keep the focus on the job — not on your years of experience or the reasons why you are “only applying now.”

A common mistake made by mid-career job seekers is to over-emphasize the years of experience you have, or the reason that you are applying for this particular job now…Employers don’t need to know that you’re looking for a less stressful job because your mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or that you have an 8-year-old with Autism. If employers are looking for candidates with three years of experience, they don’t typically disregard all candidates with less than your level of experience even if you have ten years of experience.

When you apply for positions and jobs, emphasize that you understand the purpose of the job — and highlight your relevant experience and why you are excited to apply for the opportunity. Focus on the nature of the work — not what you’d get out of the job (i.e. better health insurance and better pay).

3. Seek out positions, jobs, and work opportunities that desire a mash-up of skills.

One of the biggest benefits that mid-career professionals offer employers is diverse work and life experience.

Often experience from two separate parts of your life converges into an actual job: Maybe you started your career as a technical writer, then worked as a corporate trainer, and became a parent to a child with Down’s Syndrome. You’re now uniquely qualified to work in marketing and training for a company that develops educational products for individuals with Down’s.

If you can’t find this type of optimal situation that combines your skills and experience, create it.

Former New York Times’s career columnist Marci Alboher says you don’t have to do one thing in your career. In fact, she’s a lawyer/journalist/writer and she says you can have what she calls a slash career — and be two things at once. Like an artist/accountant or an engineer/teacher or a physician/dancer. Her book, One Person/Multiple Careers tells you how you can do this.

We hope these three strategies will help you navigate your next transition. Have you found an alternate mid-career strategy that works like a charm? If yes, share.

Photo courtesy of Andreas Krappweiss.

Are you over 50? Do you worry that your age will keep you from getting your next job offer? Feeling like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of job applications?

Take heart: A recent research study released by Chicago-based outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas shows that older workers have actually held the advantage in landing new jobs created out of the recession. How much of an edge? Of the 4.3 million jobs created in the past three years, nearly 3 million have gone to people over the age of 55! At present, there’s a lower unemployment rate for older workers.

The unemployment rate among those 44 and older is approximately 6.5% according to recent Department of Labor reports. Comparatively, the unemployment rate among 20 to 24 year olds is 12.9% and those between the ages of 24 and 34 suffer a 8.2% unemployment rate.

But don’t be fooled by the numbers: Finding a job if you’re over 50 can be tough, especially if you have extensive experience that commands a comparatively high salary — or are applying for jobs where you’d be significantly younger than your supervisor. Here are five strategies that may work for you:

1. Anticipate employer objections — and counteract them! There are stereotypes associated with employees at all age levels: some say recent college grads are too concerned about work-life balance to focus on extended projects requiring extra hours, 40-somethings are cynical and drink too much coffee, and Baby Boomers don’t keep up with technology, have outdated skills, and aren’t physically able to do the job. But you are not a stereotype — and you can counteract these myths.

How to show that you are tech savvy:
Put a QR code that links to your resume or LinkedIn profile on your personal business card. Complete your LinkedIn profile in the first person — and share your interests, not just what you’ve done in the past. This will invite other people to connect with you.

How to show that you are physically fit:
Participate in sporting events such as local 5K events — even if they are short walks. Your time results will likely be posted online and show up in a Google search. That you didn’t win doesn’t matter, nor does your time. Showing up demonstrates you are active and take care of your health — and that’s important to employers, as healthcare and sick time out of the office is expensive for any business.

2. Know your rights — and what employers can and can’t ask. The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 and Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 protect the rights of workers over 40 and apply to any employer or government agency that has over 20 employees.Here’s a handy list of facts about age discrimination that provides an overview of guidelines employers must follow.

3. Put your photo online — even if employers can’t ask you for it. While employers can’t ask for photos on resumes — and some companies have policies on whether or not employers can Google applicants — a proactive way to handle the issue of age is to put a picture of you online that looks professional and youthful. It’s okay to hire a professional photographer or edit your photo to make yourself look as healthy and vigorous as possible.

4. Avoid interview traps that make you look defensive. I recently spoke with a job seeker who interviewed with a manager that complained “many of her co-workers were gray hairs over 50 who were resistant to change.”

The job seeker replied that he would actually be their junior. He didn’t get the job offer and learned later that the manager said she “didn’t like his attitude.”

An alternative strategy for similar situations: Counteract the stereotype. If told about others who are resistant to change — give examples of times you have worked well with co-workers of all ages, then share stories about how you’ve lead change or mastered new technology.

There’s no reason to share your age in an interview conversation ever. (Here’s a quick overview of illegal interview questions employers can’t ask. Check the DOL fact sheet for information about how and when employers can ask questions about birth dates.)

5. Take advantage of special resources and programs available to help and use your talents. There’s a movement that recognizes the significant value older employees bring to organizations. Encore Careers provides advice on how to create a “second act” that combines  passion, purpose, and a paycheck: the site shares information about training opportunities and gives a limited number of $100,000 fellowships every year to recognize extraordinary efforts.You can also check out special career resources and programs available from the AARP.

We hope you’ll find these five strategies to be helpful. Do you have any other strategies that have worked well for you — or questions you’d like the answers to? Share.

If you’re under 30, scratching your head and saying, “I thought the job search was supposed to be easy,” this post is for you.

Here are two key differences in searching for a job after high school and/or college and searching for jobs listed through on-campus recruiting programs:

1.  There is generally no list of pre-published dates on when to apply and when you can expect to hear back.  (This is why StartWire includes the ability for job applicants to receive automatic updates on where they stand in the hiring pool for applications submitted to over 7,000 companies.)
2. Often positions linger on websites long after interviewing for a job has taken place and resumes have been reviewed.  (This is why “the early applicant gets the job” and why we encourage you to sign up for job alerts and apply for positions within seven days of positions being posted.)

At present, the percentage of unemployed people between the ages of 18 and 29 is higher – 12.8% — then that of the overall population (8.2%).  Fortunately, there is something you can do about it: These five strategies can help you clear hiring hurdles.

1. Start your resume with a summary – then put your “Work Experience” before Education.

When employers list jobs, they include keywords that they scan for prior to reviewing a resume with their own eyes. Use this trick to find the right key words and then create a 3-bullet summary that highlights your relevant experience for the job. This will help you get screened in for an interview as opposed to screened out.

2. Don’t say you are great in your cover letter. Ever.

Writing “I’m confident that I would be a great fit for this job” is a standard line in many cover letter templates. But it won’t help you get hired: Why? You haven’t seen the other applicants in the application pool – so don’t say you are a perfect fit if you don’t know who the competition is.

Instead: Focus on the job description and how your experience matches it. “I understand you seek ____________. I can offer you this.

When you show you’ve  thought about the job  and what it entails, it is easier for others to see you in it. Here are our exclusive tips on how to write a cover letter that sells you as a good fit for the job.

3. Don’t over-emphasize leadership skills. Show you can be a part of the team.

Showcasing leadership positions in sports and student organizations is a standard part of the college admissions process. But over-emphasizing this experience can kill your application for a job. Why? For entry-level jobs, most employers seek team players that can listen and follow directions as well as they can oversee a project.

It’s critical to show that your passing game is as good as your ability to serve as captain of the team.

If you participated on a project that ultimately made a big impact on your organization, give an overview of the team accomplishment — and provide information on the role you played to make that happen.

4. Interview as yourself – with your best foot forward.

Ever-spent hours reading suggestions on how you MUST answer specific interview questions? It’s easy to memorize suggested answers to questions, but one of the best way to come across as qualified in an interview is to come across as genuine, authentic, and honest.

Don’t misrepresent yourself – or sell your picture of who you’d like to be for the job that you will need to do if hired.

If you’re a planner and don’t like to work under pressure, share how you prepare in advance for working in situations that require tight deadlines. Don’t speak to your love of working under on a huge project with tight deadlines in a short time span — if such a project is actually a nightmare for you.

The best way to answer a weakness question is by sharing your own legitimate weaknesses – which you’ve found a way to address and work around.

Be yourself. And if you need examples — ask your friends and family for their observations on what they see in you.

5. Remember your mom and dad’s advice about not talking politics and religion in the presence of new acquaintances? It’s the same with money. Don’t talk about it until you are offered the job.

If you’re asked for information in advance, provide a range of salary averages for the job – or your compensation for your most recent position if appropriate. (Need salary averages? Glassdoor.com has great information on this, and you can get quick access to this via the Job details section of any job you’ve tracked in StartWire)

Follow these five strategies and watch your next potential employer nod as if to say – “yes, yes, yes!’ Then let us know how they work for you.

Good luck!

It’s Fourth of July week. And people are, frankly, more likely to be focused on outdoor fireworks than your resume. Even if you are a dream candidate applying for a job that seems to have been tailor made for you.

There’s no doubt about it: Summer’s a tough time from both sides of the hiring desk.

If you’re a job seeker, it’s hard to turn down invitations to grill out so you can apply for new opportunities.

If you’re a hiring manager or a recruiter with a deadline to make an offer, it can take longer than usual because many decision makers are away. People take vacations. Meetings get postponed. References go away on vacation.

Does this mean you should hang up your job search? No. Especially since plenty of potential job applicants are also grilling out, water skiing, eating ice cream — and finding ways to take time off from the job search. And many non-profit organizations and universities run on a fiscal year that ends June 30. Some of these organizations that began a new fiscal year on July 1 are officially starting a brand new hiring season right now.

What it does mean: You shouldn’t give up on your job search — especially when it’s summer!

Here are three strategies you can use to win when applying for jobs this summer. All of these strategies start with a common tactic: Play the game so you can be an easy hire. To increase your batting average of jobs applied for versus interviews received, make it simple for employers to consider you.

Here are three strategies you can use to make this work — any day of the week:

1. Apply for the job as soon as you see it.

Last summer StartWire conducted an analysis of 6,400 hires made across 10 industries. Half of the successful hires had something in common: They all applied for a job within the first seven days it was posted!

Applying early helps ensure that you get an employer’s proper attention. So take the time to apply for jobs as you see them –before you head to the store for cookout supplies.

2. When you apply, make a human connection.

As most employers use software that rank and track applications even before they are read, it’s essential to include the right keywords in your resume, cover letter, and online application. (Here’s how to do this.)

But it’s equally important to have an employer associate your name with an application. To do this, call or email the employer as soon as you’ve applied — and let them know of your application to the job. (Quick ways to make contact with an employer include finding their main number via online Super Pages, company websites, and Twitter’s Advanced Search function.)

When you follow-up with employers, give them a 1-2 sentence overview of your skills. Example: Let’s say you are applying for a job in event management and are applying for a job with a local Chamber of Commerce. If you have past experience, state that at the outset. Here’s a sample voice mail:

Hi, this is Hillary Thomas. I see you are looking for a new Event Manager, and wanted to let you know that I applied for the job online. I have three years of experience and have served as the lead assistant to event operations directors for events with an attendance of up to 1,000. If you’d like to talk directly, I can be reached at <<phone number.>>

Tip: One of the best ways to leave this type of message is to do it at night — so you can use company phone systems to erase and start again if your first message isn’t perfect!

3. Prepare your references.

One of the best ways to get a good reference is to let people know you are listing them as a reference before you share their information with employers.

If you’ve been invited to interview and are in the final stages of a search, it’s important to stay in touch with your references — and know when they are going out of town. You want to make sure you are covered when someone wants to “check and hire” quickly. Proactive move: If your reference plans to be away, have your potential reference contact your potential employer before they are going out of town. Often, this can speed up the process.

Another alternative if you have an interview: Make copies of past performance reviews (assuming they are positive) and offer to share them with your interviewer at the time of your meeting!

Finding a job in the summer may be challenging from vacations to fun events, but you can still rise to the top of the employment line with these strategies. Try them out and let us know how they work for you.

Recently, we shared a four step approach to writing the perfect cover letter. This week we’re focusing on solving the “Goldilocks” dilemma: What if you are applying for a job that you have too much experience for — or not enough?

Regardless of whether you are over- or under-qualified, the first step you should take is the same.  Focus on the job listing itself, and then plug information into your cover letter.

Here’s how to do it:

Start by reading the job description and making a list of what’s needed for the job. If you want to do this electronically, list out all of the requirements in the first column of a spreadsheet.

Then add a column for “exceeds requirements,” another for “meets requirements,” and where you “fall short.” List a final column that details alternative information on what you offer — and the strategy you can take in your application process. Here’s an example of how to do this. (Our sample is written for a candidate for a junior position in Marketing.)

When you map out the job requirements and the skills you have, you essentially create a strategic plan you can write to apply for the job and create talking points that demonstrate to the employer that you have thought about the job — and how you could do it.

Plug these points into the second paragraph of your cover letter. Your cover letter will practically write itself. Here’s an example using our four step plan on how to write a cover letter:

Through my former colleague, Austin Baker, I learned that you are currently searching for a Marketing Coordinator for your healthcare startup. I write to express my interest in the position and submit my applications for your consideration.

Based on the job description posted, I understand you seek three+ years of experience in a related field, a B.S. degree in Marketing, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. I offer you five years of marketing experience in a government communications office, a position which included budget management and compliance. Based on conversations I’ve had with individuals in healthcare, I understand that there’s a lot of overlap between marketing for government programs and healthcare in that both fields require a strong understanding of regulatory compliance and a respect for following rules. I offer you this experience as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, and completed coursework in Principles of Marketing, Product Management, and Brand Management. I’m also quite adept with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and know how to create and manage spreadsheets in Excel.

See the correlation between our table and our letter?

When you focus on the job description, you focus on what the employer needs — not how you exceed the job requirements or fall short! It’s an easier way for employers to see your fit for the job.

Good luck and let us know how this approach works for you.

Let’s talk cover letters. If you’re like most people I know, you enjoy writing cover letters about as much as you like going to the dentist – or, worse yet – going in for a root canal. Finding the right words to describe how your skills fit with a job can be cumbersome – just like taking dental x-rays from odd angles with foreign objects in your mouth!

But cover letters don’t have to be awkward. The very best cover letters showcase your fit for a job and say why you are interested working for an organization – all while providing your prospective employer with a glimpse of your personality and talent. (You can spot a bad cover letter quickly if all of the sentences start with “I.”)

Here’s a foolproof way you can write a great cover letter in 30 minutes or less:  Anticipate the questions employers will have for you, and answer them.

Recruiters and hiring managers want to know the answer to 4 questions:

1. How did you hear of the job?

This may seem like a silly interest since it has little to do with you, but employers want to know how you learned about the job – it tells them if their advertising is working.

2. How do you meet the position requirements?

Because employers often hire for more than one position at a time – it never hurts to briefly summarize the job requirements before showcasing your experience.

3. Why are you interested in the job?

Although it may not often seem like it, employers are as eager to hire employees who want to work for them as you are to get a job. You need to go beyond “I need a job” and state what particularly interests you about the company and the position.

4. Will they like you?

Do you say thank you? Is your overall tone friendly?

Here’s how this looks in a letter:

Your Address (Leave name and cell phone off the top of your letter)

City, State Zip

Today’s Date

Person’s Name
Title
Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code (Or Country)

Dear Search Committee:

Through my friend (insert name or other source of job listing), I learned that (company name) is accepting applications for a (insert position title). I write to apply for the position.

Based on the position description, I understand you are looking for someone who can do (insert one job function/responsibility), (insert another responsibility) and (insert another responsibility). I offer you a demonstrated ability to perform these tasks as can be seen through my work with (insert name of past employer). In this role, I (summarize relevant experience here).

I am especially interested in working for you due to (insert reason other than high pay or free lunch, show you’ve looked up the company). This opportunity also is a strong match for my career goals of (provide information that relates to the job opening and if appropriate share a brief example of how the position matches your interests.)

Thanks in advance for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Name

And that’s it: short, sweet and to the point. Got a question on how to target your skills for a specific situation? Ask away with a comment – next week we will provide strategies for tackling awkward situations – from how to market yourself if you are overqualified to what to do if you’ve interviewed with the company before.