Workplace

Employers overwhelmed by résumés from prospective job candidates are searching for new ways to efficiently weed through them, said Sarah E. Needleman in The Wall Street Journal. Recruiting and consulting firm Patina Solutions Group now asks candidates to answer eight standard questions when they submit their résumés. Last month, automated convenience store Shop24 USA started interviewing back-office prospects using a software program that records answers via the phone; candidates who do well in the automated interview get called in for an old-fashioned one.

Given the sheer quantity of applications, standing out from the crowd may seem like a tough challenge, said Liz Ryan in BusinessWeek. In fact, though, the most important thing is to avoid any obvious gaffes. You’d be surprised by how many job applicants make such rookie mistakes as submitting cover letters rife with errors or résumés that focus on “mundane tasks and duties” rather than actual accomplishments. In many ways, “the competition in the job market isn’t nearly as bad as you’d think”—assuming you have the right skills and know how to present them. “Employers are starved for solutions.” Applicants who have the answers will get make it to the top of the heap, “surplus be damned.”

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