Who is getting hired?

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The majority of the time, you are doing nothing wrong. Job searching is all about the right timing and having skills that stack up to those that are also applying. In many cases there are factors completely out of your control. While we all realize it is easier said than done, try to not take it personally and move on with your job search. Keep moving forward.

We have compiled some information below that you might find useful as you navigate your job search with Career Connections and perhaps find it useful in your independent search.

• Concerns about commitment to the area. The Athens area is a very transient town and often times we find small businesses not wanting to invest time and training on someone that can only promise two to three years. 
• Lack of necessary computer skills. Sometimes an employer knowing someone is trainable is not enough. They will hire someone that comes into the job with the skills necessary over someone that does not time and time again. 
• Lack of industry specific experience. While you might have equitable years of experience in a certain job title or skill, often times employers will hire someone that has worked in that specific industry over one that has not.
• Culture-fit. In all industries, but definitely in a small business or office environment, people want to work with those they feel they will get along with. Interview interactions or feedback from our bios will sometimes be reviewed for personality fit.
• Overqualified. Often times our clients will hire overqualified candidates for temporary/contract work but when it comes to permanent openings, they want a qualified and retainable individual. Overqualified candidates sometimes carry that stigma around that they'll leave as soon as a job becomes available that is better suited to their skills. While that completely makes sense, it does mean employers will shy away from investing time and money in you as a new hire.
• Years of experience. We get on average of 75 applications for permanent searches and generally only recommend 5 to 7 of those applications after carefully reviewing the resumes. Someone might get picked because they have one more year of applicable experience than you do.

• Concise and well-rounded resume. The resume you submit to us is what we share with our client when making a recommendation. If you do not like the version we have, they probably will not either. Keep it updated and review for errors.
• Keep a good attitude. Our job at CC is to screen every single applicant at all times. We are the HR office for these businesses and the way you talk to our staff, our clients, and handle the interview process in general is considered. 
• Computer assessments. If you are interested in working in an office environment, please take our assessments if you have not already. A overall score of 75% or higher on software assessments are highly desired by our clients. 
• Be responsive. A lot of our clients will shy away from those that take more than 24 hours to reply to our requests for an interview or offer call. 
• Keep us updated. We prepare a document during your interview or orientation process that is used when we share your details with our clients. That document represents you at the time of your interview and we update it if you check in and share new experience or preferences but only when that update chat happens so sometimes they can become outdated. Be sure to be responsive to our Candidate Update calls or take the steps to call us to share any pertinent updates.