A 10-Step Recruiting Process: Where Do You Fall Out?

by Todd Herschberg

As a recruiter and mentor, I get dozens of applications for every opening; I have to find a way to thin the piles down to a reasonable size – and select those who deserve a shot.

So before you  tell everyone you’ve found your dream job and have applied, let me describe the ten steps I use to determine if you may be selected as the 1-in-100 “winner” of this competition…
Candidates received: 100

Step 1: Are you Social?

In my business, being alive on social media is everything. You can have a smallish personal network, but it must be of high quality and you must be a consistent, integrity-based practitioner of the social media arts.
Candidates remaining: 40

Step 2: Do you Pay Attention to Detail?

For instance, I asked for a cover letter describing why you felt that you would be a great fit for the position. Yet, a surprisingly large number of applicants fail to include a cover letter. In addition, a handful sent cover letters that were clearly form letters that failed to include the information requested.
20 candidates remaining

Step 3: How Good is Your Cover Letter?

I know others think different, but to me a cover letter is always important, especially for college students who may not yet have a rich work history. Here is your chance to shine, to show me a bit about who you are as a person:

• Typo? Or maybe too long? If so, you may not be good at Step 2 or getting ideas across in a succinct manner; you go into the “probably not” pile
• Is your cover letter engaging and provide reasons for me to bring you in? Did you address it “Dear Todd” as opposed to “To whom it may concern”? If yes, into the “for consideration” pile.

Candidates remaining (those who shine): 15

Step 4: Is your Resume Compelling?

Here’s where I really decide on those I’ll be interviewing…

Have you committed yourself to internships? Have you been involved in activities outside of class? Volunteer work? Summer jobs? Peer mentoring? I am not looking for anything in particular, but I do want my interns and team members to be well-rounded individuals versus academic automatons.

Candidates remaining: 10


See steps 5-10 and the complete article


About the Author: Todd Herschberg is a seasoned entrepreneur who has served as founder, marketer, technologist and mentor for a number of start-up tech firms. Mr. Herschberg is one of the world’s 20 most connected individuals on LinkedIn, a frequent speaker on social media topics and ranked the 33rd “Most Influential Person Online” by Fast Company. Todd is also an advisor to YouTern and a firm believer in mentoring. You can reach Todd directly on Twitter.