These are turbulent times in healthcare IT, and there are many health system CIO opportunities opening up. You may decide to test your abilities as a candidate and reach out to an organization or an executive recruiter. What can you do to get past “no” if you feel you are unfairly evaluated? How do you get your foot in the door?
Rejection can happen to any of us in a job search process. How you react and move forward is important for your self-confidence. A rejection email, or a rejection call, or silence after sending in your resume can be difficult situations. Learning from these life experiences can help you secure the right position and evaluating your approach to a new opportunity can help you become the candidate of choice.
Reasons for rejection
Recruiter and HR professionals are adept are reviewing resumes in a few seconds. I evaluate many resumes a week for healthcare IT leadership positions. Of course, not everyone is qualified. Here are some reasons for rejection:
- Did not meet the key criteria for the position based on a quick review of resume
- No cover letter or email with resume
- Not addressed to anyone except “To Whom it May Concern”
- Resume is poorly worded, sloppy, hard to read/understand
- No description of employers
- No key accomplishment described
- No address or contact information
Note: I have been surprised to find “initially rejected” candidates that were “hidden gems” not well represented by their poorly written resumes. Their skills and accomplishments came out during phone interviews.
Ways to overcome/prevent rejection
As described above, the main reasons for initially rejecting inquiries fall under the business communication category. Excellent writing and email communication skills are important attributes for anyone applying for a healthcare IT leadership position. Here are some proactive steps to help:
- Research the hiring organization
- Call the recruiter before you send your resume to get information
- Ask for the full position specification
- Review the position specification and adjust your resume to match each requirement
- Utilize the reverse chronological resume format, not a curriculum vitae format
- Write a unique cover letter, addressed to a person, that describes your reason for interest
- Prepare your resume like an executive summary of your work history and why you are qualified — describe employers and list key accomplishments
- Ask others to critique your resume
- Contact the recruiter/hiring professional to discuss your background by phone
- Request specific feedback on why your background was rejected
Becoming the candidate of choice involves moving past rejection, and finding the right match of your skills/abilities to the right organization. Be realistic; if a health system wants a CIO with an academic medical center background and 15 years experience, make sure you meet those qualifications before applying for the position. View rejection as a learning and networking experience.
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