5 Ways to Impress a Hiring Manager

Five Ways to Wow a Hiring Manager
by Allison Stacy

You’ve heard the statistics: For any job opening you pursue, dozens (if not hundreds) of other applicants are vying for the same position. If you find those figures disheartening, you’re not alone. The hiring manger—that is, the person who has to root through that mountain of resumes and arrive at the right candidate for the job—shares your trepidation.

I know this because I’ve been on both sides of the resume pile. As editor of a national consumer magazine, I have the responsibility of hiring the editorial and design staff, including entry-level positions. From this experience, I also know that going up against a zillion other applicants doesn’t have to be a disadvantage—it can actually be an opportunity. Hiring managers look for people who stand out from the crowd, and the truth is that few applicants do. But you can: From the resume to the interview, here are five ways to impress the person who holds the key to your employment fate.

Make your resume distinctive. A hiring manager’s first impression comes from your resume, so be sure you’re truly putting your best foot forward. When you describe your work experience, emphasize accomplishments, not job functions. Suppose you spent a summer interning in the marketing department of the local arts council. Saying that you “wrote press releases” and “maintained the Web site” won’t tell a hiring manager anything she doesn’t already know. (What PR intern doesn’t write press releases?) Nor does it showcase how well you did the job. But if you instead explain that you “devised a low-cost online publicity campaign to encourage donations” and “created e-newsletter content that drove a 20 percent increase in Web site traffic,” that will make her take notice.

Tailor your cover letter. A lot of hiring managers see cover letters as a necessary evil: Managers enjoy reading them about as much as you enjoy writing them. But that’s only because they usually all sound the same—and they merely reiterate what’s in the stack of resumes. This is a shame: Why waste this prime opportunity to impress a potential employer?

When I’m reviewing applicants’ materials, I’m always delighted to come across an original cover letter—especially one that shows me why the author is an ideal candidate for the open position. (Note that I said show, not tell.) This can be as simple as forging a personal connection to the work you’d be doing. For example, because I work for Family Tree Magazine, a how-to publication for genealogy, I’ll sometimes get cover letters relaying how the applicants have researched their own family trees or how their families’ history and heritage have influenced their lives. That kind of letter always makes me give that person a second look. (Warning: This could backfire if you become cliché, such as telling the Chicago Cubs you’re a lifelong fan.)

Subtle flourishes can be even more effective. Editors don’t stop thinking like editors while they’re reading your cover letter. That means they’ll notice your attention to details, such as your conscious correct usage of a common grammatical faux pas or that you penned your letter according to the publication’s house style (which you’d discern from studying recent editions).

In case you haven’t yet gotten the hint, you should be customizing your cover letters for every position or company. Yes, it’s extra work—but if you’re not willing to make that effort, what message are you sending to the person you want to hire you?

Show you’ve studied your subject. The last thing a hiring manager wants to do is find himself in the same place—understaffed and in serious need of a replacement. So he’s going to be considering your level of interest in the position and company in addition to your qualifications. The best way to express that you really want the job (and not in a I-can’t-go-back-to-living-with-Mom-and-Dad kind of way): Let him know you’ve done your homework.

Of course, this starts with research. Learn everything you can about the publication, station, or organization. What’s its mission? What audience does it serve? Broaden your investigation to the parent company. What other products does it produce? How has it been making news lately? Such information is now easy to track down on Web sites, such as I Want Media.

You can weave some of your newfound knowledge into your cover letter. In fact, that’s another good way to let the hiring manager know he hasn’t gotten yet another generic form letter. But you’ll totally knock his socks off if you put your awareness to work: Along with your resume, cover letter and work samples, include a list of article pitches perfectly suited to the magazine, a new ad campaign idea for one of the agency’s clients, or whatever project is appropriate. Not only does this showcase your research skills, it shows the hiring manager you want the position badly enough that you’re willing to work for it.

Know the competition. Every Web site, publication, TV news operation, ad agency, and PR firm has competitors. You’ll really impress a hiring manager by coming to an interview with an understanding not just of your prospective employer, but also of who its rivals are. If you were the editor of Modern Ferret, wouldn’t you be wowed by an applicant who knew that Ferrets Magazine also serves the ferret-owning public? The interview questions will probably give you a chance to show off your knowledge; if they don’t, work it in when you have the opportunity to ask questions.

Go the extra mile. No matter what position or journalistic discipline you work in, managers like employees who take initiative. So show you’re a go-getter: If you’re asked to complete a test or assignment as part of the application process—and you most likely will be—go above and beyond the requirements. To give a couple of real-life examples: I was impressed by a managing editor candidate who, in her test edit of a feature article, included artwork and design ideas based on my magazine’s past feature designs. Likewise, I asked art director candidates to devise a photo or illustration idea for a particular article and describe their instructions for the photographer or illustrator. The graphic designer I ultimately hired went a step further and provided a sketch of her illustration concept. Follow her cue, and you’ll get hired, too.

Allison Stacy (BSJ ‘99) is editor of Family Tree Magazine, published by F+W Publications in Cincinnati, Ohio. Allison can be reached at allisonstacy@yahoo.com.