Is the hiring process rigged? Do more private equity jobs go to well-connected friends and family members, rather than the best qualified?
Those are the questions posed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine, co-founder of the career coaching firm SixFigureStart, in a guest article for Forbes. As a long-time recruiter and veteran of jobs in investment banking, media and management consulting, she says the ultimate answer is … no. It’s not rigged, but it’s hardly perfect, and there are three major reasons why the best qualified candidate for a particular position doesn’t always land the job.
Reason one is the simplest. Sometimes the job just disappears due to a sudden budget crunch or change in headcount, so the firm combines the role with an existing job or eliminates it altogether before a person is hired. Or sometimes the nature of the job changes in mid-recruitment, so that the whole batch of people initially interviewed no longer fit the bill. What can you do in that situation? Ceniza-Levine says to keep in touch with the employer, because you never know when other jobs might open up and you already have an “in.”
Reasons number two is “flunking the road test.” In other words, you may have focused on building specific job skills or obtaining certifications in order to qualify for a job like this. But then forgot to spend enough time on the nitty gritty of the interviewing and negotiating process itself. Let’s face it: interviewing isn’t a skill we use that often, especially if you’ve been in a job for a few years. What can you do? Recognize that you have to pass this “road test” and bone up on your interviewing skills ahead of time with practice interviews.
Reason number three is that sometimes a great candidate doesn’t appear to want the job badly enough. The interview itself is all about human interaction, says Ceniza-Levine. And while different recruiters and interviewers disagree about how resumes and cover letters should look, nearly all of them agree on one thing: enthusiasm sells. They would rather hire a less qualified but more enthusiastic candidate that the one who has all the credential on paper but who lacks that hungry attitude.
Desire matters, because we all want to work with positive, enthusiastic people who add to the energy in the room. So don’t forget to ramp up the enthusiasm, within reason, when you interview. Don’t be afraid to ask for the job (or think that it may make you look desperate).
What’s your opinion? Do you think the best qualified candidate usually gets the job? Or do you think other factors (please elaborate) often tip the balance in a candidate’s favor? Add your comments below.
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