It's a well known fact in the recruiting and HR world that hiring managers/HR reps/recruiters spend an average 15 seconds deciding if you make it to the interview pile ... or if your resume gets discarded.



Keep in mind this is an average ... recruiters/HR reps spend more time on those…

How can you get references when your ex-employer has a policy against giving references?



It's not just if your old employer won't give references, you also have problems if your ex-employer will only give minimal references and only confirm dates of employment.



While…

Does your email address matter?



Some career advice I often give candidates - Your email address is often the very first impression you make as you apply for a job, and the first establishment of your personal brand.



It's often the first thing a hiring manager looks at when…

Employers are big chickens.



Especially when it comes to saying, "Thanks, but no thanks".



With all of the risk of lawsuits these days, it's no wonder. But as a candidate, you don't care about employer risk - you care about getting a straight answer.



Chances are you've…

Today, most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to pre-screen candidates (or MS Office features that mimic basic ATS functions).



These systems, basically resume databases with Google-like search tools, help companies only focus on candidates that meet minimum requirements, from the…