Being confident in a job search is a good thing. Being overly confident, teetering on the edge of arrogance, is a bad play.
Your experience or your record of accomplishment does not automatically qualify you for a particular job. Allowing yourself to believe, or say out loud, “I am perfect for that position,” particularly if you do not understand what exactly it is they are looking for, is to invite insult upon injury. When recruiters hear or read the “I am perfect for this job” comment they usually roll their eyes right before hitting the delete button.
Here is what I advise my clients:
- Substitute “I’m perfect” for “very interested”
- Use the employer’s relevant keywords and phrases from their job description or recruiter’s summary when you are customizing your resume and cover letter
- Use your resume’s Professional Summary to summarize your experience and accomplishments with the prospective employer’s requirements and expectations. Use their words
- Be sure you address each of the employer’s “wants” and “must haves” — years of general and relevant experience, academic preparation, and professional credentials
- Reinforce the prospective employer’s specific experience and performance requirements in as many of your previous employment entries as possible, supported with specific accomplishments. Your most important accomplishment from each previous employment should be the first bullet
- Do not overwhelm the recruiter with information that is not relevant to the prospective employer’s specific needs
- Do not expect the recruiter or the employer to “do the math.” Be clear and succinct