Want to know what employers are really thinking about? I’ll tell you.
Job seekers oftentimes get so focused on the smaller details of applying for jobs that they tend to lose sight of the one thing that employers are really thinking about and looking for in a candidate.
When reviewing job descriptions, the person looking to work at the company ends up zeroing in on meeting every single job description criteria to a “T.”
Which is important, but it’s not REALLY what employers are thinking about.
There’s one simple question, when you really boil it down, which is what any employer is after.
As Nick Corcodilos of “Ask the Headhunter” mentioned in a recent post on NPR.org’s website, this is what companies want the most out of people they interview:
“Can the applicant do the work profitably?”
Yep.
That’s it.
The prospective company is looking for someone to join their team with an “A game” on that will achieve the goals of the company, which, in the for-profit world, is to make money.
This doesn’t mean you have to be a sales person and make money in terms of new revenues.
It could also be about how you save money or save time.
This matters just as much.
How does your experience help companies achieve their goals?
This is the most important thing that many job seekers forget to address. They are so busy writing about how they “successfully” launched a new project that they forget to quantify or define what success means.
And the potential employer is left holding the bag, trying to figure out what you mean, when they really want you to show them the money.
The next time you sit down to update your résumé, try taking an employer’s viewpoint. Ask yourself: “So what? Did this help? If so, how?”
Get into the quantifiable results.
But more importantly, don’t forget to tie back what your work did to help the company be profitable or meet their financial goals.
That’s what employers are really thinking about.