In our economic time of lay-offs we have seen an interesting development. There is a much higher quantity versus quality to the incoming resumes which has created a dilemma for resume submittals. Candidates are applying to positions for which they are simply over-qualified or have no relevant experience.

To us this suggests several things:

1) People apply in the hope that staffing will see what a great candidate they are and contact them when a new positions comes up.

2) As a way to get their foot in the door for a particular department and/or company as they may just be entering the job market from college.

3) To convince you to hire them anyway even though the job you posted is not at a senior level.

This causes a dilemma as gone are the days when companies would create a position for a candidate with a great background. Plus your resume has a higher chance of getting lost in an applicant tracking system whose search capacities may be limited or by a recruiter who has moved on to other projects which need immediate attention.

So what is the best course of action? Carefully look over the job description and tailor your resume if you feel you meet the top five requirements. For instance, if you are in marketing but are a generalist with a breadth of skills but no depth in any one area, highlight those areas of strength that apply to the job. But understand that if the job truly requires a specific area of skills you don’t have enough experience in, then you won’t be considered.

Next, be specific on how you contributed by including much detail. Often we see resumes where a candidate does not illustrate their experience, but when asked they will go into great detail in an email reply. Take that thoughtful consideration and add it to your resume before sending it in. This isn’t about finding the right keywords to use but rather having your resume get noticed in the first 30 second scan. Don’t be boring or vague!

Additionally, if you are too senior for the position then it’s probably best not to apply at that time. With over a 100 resumes now vying for a recruiter’s attention, those that are the best fit will get reviewed first and the rest put aside until later. Your goal is to seek out jobs in which you are the best match, tailor your resume accordingly, and submit it to the positions you are truly interested in. This way you’ll have the best results!

Tell me your thoughts on this: what motivated you to apply to a job that perhaps wasn’t the best match for your background? What were your expectations? How do you think you could have done it better?