NotJobs: I’m Clearly the Best Candidate!

Suzanna Lucas, The Evil HR Lady, is one of my favorites. Earlier, she wrote the perfect takedown of an applicant with an entitlement attitude: I’m Clearly the Best Candidate–So Why Am I Not Getting the Job?

To start the discussion, the applicant ponders:

I heard that 85% of the time it’s not the most qualified candidate that gets the job.  I’m still searching for that 15% job.

I’m doing something wrong in the interviews.  I’ve been a finalist a few times now but not gotten the job.  Sadly, I used to be good at interviewing.

Anyways, if nothing else you could tell me a couple of great subject lines to use.

The Evil HR Lady responds:

A great couple of lines will not get you a job.  Neither will the idea that you’re not getting the job because hiring managers hire the less qualified person 85% of the time.  And, if there’s ever been a made up statistic, that’s one of them.

To be honest, as long as no one is lying on their resume (and that is a big caveat), that by the time you’ve made it through the resume screen and the phone screen, all candidates being interviewed could do the job and are qualified.  It’s doubtful any recruiter or hiring manager is saying, “Gee I need an accountant who is experienced in Hedge funds.  So, let’s bring in this guy who has experience and 3 other people who don’t have a clue about that area!”  Nope.  All the people interviewing will have the necessary experience.

You said you used to be good at interviewing, but now you are not.  May I gently suggest that you probably have never been spectacularly good at interviewing, but have been in situations where there were fewer qualified candidates to choose from.

It’s the market…

See the Evil HR Lady’s article here:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/evil-hr-lady/i-8217m-clearly-the-best-candidate-8211so-why-am-i-not-getting-the-job/1032