Knowing When To Quit - Professionalism 101

At one point or another in almost everyone's career, they've applied to a position they feel highly qualified for, only to be turned down by a recruiter or hiring manager because one or more of the requirements for the position was not clearly visible in their resume.

It might be an oversight on the reviewers part, an oversite on the part of the person creating the resume, or the job truly is not the right fit.

The best way to approach this situation, should you feel a mistake has been made, is to respond to the decision maker via email, and provide a few bullets showing your relevant experience.

Example:

Thank you for reviewing my resume.  I believe that I do have the qualifications you mentioned above.

• 5 years of Project Management experience - please note on my resume that between 2014 and 2019 I served a dual role as a Project Manager and Information Analyst for XYZ Company.
• Regulatory & Compliance Certification - While it is not on my resume due to an oversight on my part, I am HIPAA Certified since 2017
• In an effort to keep my resume to 3 pages, I wasn't able to fit all of my 25 years of experience.  I do have all the requirements of the role including (and list what they thought you lacked)

I would truly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, so I can provide a deeper explanation of my experience and qualifications.

Sincerely,

It is never advisable to respond with the following, or anything similar (all of which I've received over the years):

• YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!
• I'm the best candidate you'll find for this position, YOUR LOSS!
• I might not have a lot of the required qualifications, but I'm a quick learner.
• Good Luck! You wont find a better candidate.

Responses like the ones above appear desperate, and some are just rude.  No recruiter or hiring manager is going to react positively to someone who responds in that manner.  Who would want to work with a person who responds in that way to a simple email?  One cannot imagine what this person would be like to work with on a daily basis, handling complex work situations.

The best way to avoid this situation all together, is the make sure that the email accompanying the resume has a note highlighting the experience/qualifications/knowledge fit of the person applying.

In the long run, its always best to take the high road. 

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