How hiring decisions are reached and what it means for you as a job seeker

On this page, I clear up a common misconception about what is required for a job seeker to become a top candidate.

Many job seekers are unaware of how crucial it is to define a proper focus for their job search and applications at the very beginning, before dealing with anything else. Others fail to define it sufficiently. This is one of the biggest mistakes job seekers can make. As a result, countless hours are wasted chasing vacancies that those job seekers have no chance of being seriously considered for.

In this case, even carefully crafted applications usually receive no replies at all or get rejected at an early stage. Tragically, the affected applicants rarely become aware of this cause and continue investing their energy in activities destined to fail.

The anatomy of candidate selection

It is necessary to become a top candidate because this is the only basis for getting a job offer in the end. Usually, there is only one position to fill, and even the second-best candidate will be rejected like all other less attractive applicants. Many job seekers believe that they will be regarded as probable top candidates if they have the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to do the job successfully. However, that is not the case!

Normally, a vacant position is offered to the candidate whose personal characteristics match the job profile best. This decision is usually based on the subtle advantages the candidate of choice has to offer in addition to their core competence. There is a clear reason why those subtle details become so decisive. At the final stage of the selection process, usually all remaining candidates have the necessary work experience and are suitable for the position. Hence, the successful candidate will be the one who has managed to present their unique characteristics as the most favorable profile to the hiring manager.

Examples of how hiring decisions are reached

Here are a few simplified examples to illustrate how subtle differences between candidates can become decisive for the hiring decision:

A software developer becomes the candidate of choice because he used to work for the hiring company’s most important customer. Of course, this is not required, but the prospect of having someone in the team who has in-depth knowledge of the important client’s company culture makes the decisive difference between him and the other good candidates without that background.
A nurse is offered the job because she has basic language skills in Japanese that she acquired during an internship in Japan several years ago. Of course, this is not required by the hiring hospital in the US, but as the town it is located in has a large number of Japanese expats, employing someone with matching language skills is regarded as favorable over choosing other good applicants for the position without those skills.
A sales manager receives the job offer because she has worked in Brazil for the last five years. Of course, this is not required for her work in the domestic industry in Portugal, but as the firm is considering an expansion into foreign markets in the near future, her international experience grants her a competitive advantage over other suitable candidates.

In real life, it is usually a combination of several aspects that make the top candidates’ profiles unique and preferable.

In conclusion, if you do not market your current profile of professional experience and skills based on the special advantages it features, you risk constant defeat in your job hunt even if you are perfectly qualified. Defining a clear focus for your search and applications based on your specialties will prevent that.