Dear Job Seeker, This Is How Recruiters Select Their Best Candidates

“I have been applying for jobs for so long now but I never hear from the recruiters. I am qualified for most of the jobs I apply for so I don’t understand why I’m not being shortlisted for interviews.”

This is an example of some of the emails I get from distressed job seekers. If you are reading this, I’m sure that it’s because this is either you or has been you at one point. The job search has become like the jungle fallacy of ‘survival for the fittest’ which has led many job seekers into believing that you have to know someone who knows someone in order to get a job. But though networks work at times, it doesn’t always have to be like this.

This begs the question, what happens when you have applied to a job you are obviously qualified for only to be shown the back? Is it that recruiters don’t notice you or have their own candidates. In order to understand why you are still jobless, it is important to get a sneak peak of how recruiters make the selection for their best candidates. This will give you an idea of what you can do to be among those lucky candidates.

Related: 7 Lessons I’ve Learnt About The Kenyan Job Market 

Criteria Recruiters Use To Select Their Best Candidates

1. It’s all based on a first come first served basis

Dear concerned job seeker, it’s not that you are not qualified for the position; it’s just that your timing is not right, something that is echoed by Ms. Carolyne Kariuki, a Recruitment Manger at Corporate Staffing Services.

Recruiters receive hundreds and even thousands of applications on a single job post, hence they cannot afford to slack around waiting for the deadline in order to go through CVs. According to Ms. Kariuki, she starts recruiting the moment the job is advertised and applications start streaming in.

So what can you do as a job seeker? Ensure that you are always up to date with an updated CV in case a job comes up at that company you want to work for. Visit company websites on a daily basis to see if they have any openings. Apply immediately and avoid post phoning.

2. The industry you have worked in sometimes outweighs your years of experience

What do I mean by this? Let’s say that you are applying for an FMCG Admin Officer Job paying a certain amount. This means that the recruiter is looking for someone who has worked in the FMCG industry. If you haven’t, your application no matter how qualified you are in other areas will be null and void.

And this happens especially when you are applying for a job through a recruitment agency. So quit blaming yourself for years of unsuccessful job search and focus on what matters. What industry have you worked for? Apply then to jobs that fall in that particular industry.

3. The personality you bring to the company also matters

Will your personality fit in that particular company? Organizations differ in size and structure and so you must be the perfect fit for that company. You don’t have to work at a place where you will always feel intimidation or not challenged enough.

Therefore in order to choose the best candidate for the job, recruiters have to scan through your CV analyzing what personality you will be bringing if offered a chance.

There are so many reasons why recruiters reject your application and consider another but these reason discussed above are the major ones. It’s a fast moving job market and therefore you have to be quick about it. Quit using outdated job search methods and focus on impressing the recruiter through a timely application and applying for jobs you qualify for.

Related: Understanding The Hidden Job Market 

Lilian Wamaitha is a Communications and Digital Marketing Officer at Career Point Kenya. Contact her via lilian@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke. Click here to like us on Facebook.