I often wonder what goes through the mind of a candidate who does not follow the directions for submitting a resume after reading a job description. Do they get so excited about the position that they skip over the application directions? Do they think the “rules” don’t apply to them so instead send a link of their LinkedIn account directly to the recruiter? Do they think applying differently makes them look special leaving the recruiter in awe and exclaiming, “Wow, this guy can’t follow directions, I bet he’s an exception candidate! I can’t wait to talk to him!” Whatever it is that goes through their mind I encourage them to stop, take a breath and re-focus on their professional brand and present themselves as desirable candidates by doing the most simple of actions - following directions.

Recruiters are looking for the most proactive result-producers and ones who apply common sense when sending a resume and cover letter. They are looking for candidates who are qualified for the position and demonstrate a consistent professional brand. They are tracking whether the candidate followed the simple application directions (who, how and where to send ones resume) and used correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Recruiters are busy and have reason to request explicit yet simple directions on where to send your resume or apply for the position. If you demonstrate the inability to follow directions at this level of the “Get Hired” game, more than likely your resume will be deleted or placed in the Thanks But No Thanks (TBNT) pile.

Professional branding has moved from being a trend to being the expectation. How well you present yourself – professional, intelligent, polite, humble and personable with a high level of integrity – is your key to success regardless of industry. This starts with how you respond to a job application.

Recruiters provide explicit directions in the job description on how and where to send one’s resume and what to include. Much like a volley between tennis opponents, the posted job description is the hiring company’s serve, how you respond is your return shot. Will you return in kind so that you play longer, eventually being asked to join the team? Or will you return a lousy or competitive shot? How about a basketball instead? If the company invited you to play tennis, play tennis. If they invited you for hoops, ask if it’s street or more formal. Don’t assume you know the rules, or that playing by different rules is OK at the beginning; don’t attempt to stand out by not playing by the rules originally presented.

I use this analogy to repeat what I have said in past blogs: recruiters are busy, especially now, so whatever rules they request for the game of “getting hired by us” play by them or be ready for the communication: Game Over.

What would inspire a recruiter to hire someone who cannot follow simple directions? What would that candidate be like to work with? How would they impact the company or interact with clients? What would impress a recruiter about someone who insists on branding themselves as incapable of following simple directions? The recruiter is the gatekeeper, not the bridge troll to get past in your journey for employment. If a recruiter says “Send your resumes to “this name - at - this company dot com” then do exactly as requested. Don’t send a link to your LinkedIn profile or an email directing the recruiter to any online profile. It’s like getting an invitation to play tennis and sending a picture of you playing the game. What will get you noticed is following the rules AND an exceptional resume AND being consistent with your professional brand.

How a candidate responds to a job posting says a lot about how they interact with authority, follow directions and how they think they are perceived by their colleagues. It speaks to their personal and professional brand which is a very important and common impression that recruiters use to choose who to talk to and whose resume is discarded.

There are numerous blogs, articles and ‘how-to’ instructions on how to get a recruiter’s attention when applying for a position. By now, recruiters expect that everyone looking for a job has read a majority of this advice and has, through their own intellect, figured out the common themes – Send a qualified resume with no spelling or grammar errors, follow application directions, use a consistent branding message and have an engaging yet humble personality.

Use common sense when applying for a position. If you were applying to a college you would not send the dean a text message of interest, instead you would go through the proper channels spelled out on the university’s application. Contextually there is no difference between applying to college and following those rules and applying for a job and doing the same. Your actions reflect your personal and professional brand and in this economy with the amount of competition for a position what would motivate a candidate not to honor the request and time of a the recruiter on how to submit a resume? Self-Sabotage? Arrogance? Cluelessness? Delusions of grandeur? Carelessness? Dare I say, stupidity?

Bonus Tip: Do not assume the recruiter is your buddy, has your back or is your wing man to the person who makes the final hiring decision. Too often candidates feel that once they’ve gotten past the recruiter that he or she is now their buddy, confidant or allied force. Once you have been invited for an interview, continue to keep your professional brand consistent with everyone associated with that company even after you have been either hired or given a TBNT communication.

In summary, don’t waste anyone’s time when looking for employment, especially your own. Use common sense and be considerate of the time and effort of those with whom you interact; be professional, personable and polite. Respect requested instructions. Be consistent with your professional branding; being a leader in your own employment campaign will be obvious to your network. Recruiters are looking for the most proactive result-producers - be one in your own employment campaign and get hired.
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Copyright. Tuesday, October 27, 2009.
www.careerrocketeer.com/2009/10/consistency-in-brand-and-simply