We have recently been hiring quite a few talented rock stars to join the Contegix team over the past several months, and we anticipate additional hiring for 2011.  We have invested a good deal of time in developing our recruitment and interviewing processes as we feel selecting the right individuals to join our team is key to the success of our company.  We’ve recently implemented additional dedicated resources, in terms of people and systems, in order to better manage and facilitate our recruitment process and provide the focus we feel is necessary.

As you can imagine we, much like all companies, receive a large number of applications for every single position we post.  As the individual who assesses each and every one of those applications I can definitely assure you we receive a large volume of resumes!  We like that volume though.  We say turn it up!  A large number of applicants allows us to really pinpoint the exact candidate we are seeking and to eventually select the best of the best.  Of course, sometimes finding the best of the best can be a long process.

As someone who reads tons of resumes and interviews people every week I thought I would pass along some tips for getting noticed and getting selected out of that large pool of resumes currently on my desk.  These tips are not necessarily relevant only to being hired at Contegix; rather, they are relevant for seeking employment with any organization.  Herewith, a few pointers in no particular order:

Proofread

This one is simple.  Proofread everything: cover letter, resume, email.  Everything.  Your resume and every other piece of communication you present to a prospective employer should be professional, concise, informative, and well written.  Your cover letter and resume are the only things someone like me has to assess when you first apply for an opportunity.  If any of these items are littered with errors, spelling mistakes and the like then you are not presenting a very professional image of yourself.  It is always a good idea to have someone else review your resume and other items and provide feedback and suggestions.

Resume

Resumes require a great deal of work to do properly and are typically rather frustrating for most individuals.  It is good to remember that content is key.  You should be representing yourself through your resume and do so specifically for the position for which you are applying.  One single resume may not be the one you use for every position for which you apply.  This is particularly true if you have a variety of past experience.

Resume length is also important.  A twelve page resume is a bit excessive and probably not likely to be read past the first page.  Sometimes all you need for some work experience on your resume is the company name and your job title while at that company.  For example, if you were a bank teller at one point in your career it is not necessary to include ten bullet items explaining that position.  Everyone knows what a bank teller does.  If you wish to highlight something about that job then list something that sets you apart in that role in comparison to others who have the same experience.  For technical resumes it is not necessary to highlight every single piece of technology you have ever had even a small amount of experience; rather, highlight those technologies pertinent to the job for which you are applying.  (Hint: We’re an open source company.  Your ten years of experience with Windows isn’t relevant for us and will be overlooked on your resume.  So why not replace that information on your resume with items that are relevant to our company?)

It is also important to remember to not leave gaps in experience on your resume.  At a minimum, list all companies where you worked regardless of their relevance in order to provide a clear picture of your employment history.  We’ll eventually ask about gaps in employment on your resume so why not make it clear from the beginning?

Email

We all use email so much we oftentimes fall into the trap of treating it as a casual form of communication.  Of course when you are applying for a job it is not casual.  Remember to construct your emails in a professional manner.  It is always a good idea to consider the actual email address you use when applying for positions.  The email address you use to email your friends and family may not be the same one you should use when applying for a job.  When sending an email do not simply attach a resume.  Write something!  Tell us why we should hire you.

Understand What You Are Applying For

It’s a good idea to ensure you have completely read the job description and the requirements of the position.  Assess whether you meet the minimum requirements of the position.  We strive to be as descriptive as possible when writing our job descriptions in an effort to not frustrate candidates who apply and are not selected.  Unfortunately not everyone is a fit for the position they have interest in, and we attempt to create job descriptions that allow prospective candidates to determine that sooner rather than later.

Research

When you provide us a resume you are providing us information about yourself.  We are going to pore over it and learn as much as we can and then begin the process of learning even more about you.  You should take the same approach in learning about us.  We hope we provide tons of information about our company on our website, and we encourage you to review it.  We also encourage candidates to use the power of the internet and other means to learn even more about us.  Don’t just take our word for it!  Come in prepared and educated on Contegix.

We all know it’s a competitive marketplace at the moment.  We take recruitment and hiring very seriously.  We invite all talented rock stars to consider joining our stellar team.