We do a lot of executive applications including resumes from people who are targeting specific senior jobs in the state or Australian Public Service.
Those who give us ten days to two weeks, get a first class product.
We can usually write three or four drafts, which ensure it hits the bullseye.
Those who call us seven days before an executive application is due and who also need to write a selection criteria (we advise and edit those) and a cover letter, are in trouble. They’re hand balling the problem on to us.
They’ve left the application late and that is not a good executive capability.
They want us to shoulder the load in a reduced time frame and that is not a good executive capability either.
Some years ago a large international recruitment company did some research on the time spent on executive applications.
Those who set aside a full two weeks to research, draft, write and produce an application were 40 per cent more likely to be short-listed.
Recruiters can tell when an application has been rushed.
We don’t write selection criteria. No one can. How can we answer complex questions about a profession?
How can we answer questions on KPI’s, strategy, examples of change management, etc?
We can help clients write selection criteria but ethically and rationally, they need to come from the client.