What HR Managers Never Tell You

Sometimes what we don’t know can hurt us, especially in the job market. Kenneth McGrath, a Producer at KHQ shared these real life quotes from Human Resources professionals nationally that may make you rethink your technique in the job hunt.

1. “When it comes to getting a job, who you know really does matter. No matter how nice your résumé is or how great your experience may be, it’s all about connections.” –HR director at a health-care facility

2. “We will judge you based on your e-mail address. Especially if it’s something inappropriate like kinkyboots101@hotmail.com or johnnylikestodrink@gmail.com.” –Recruiting consultant in Philadelphia

3. “There’s a myth out there that a résumé has to be one page. Some people send their résumé in a two-point font. Nobody is going to read that.” –HR director at a financial services firm

4. “Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.” –HR professional in the Boston area

5. “Résumés don’t need color to stand out. When I see a little color, I smirk. And when I see a ton of color, I cringe. And walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.”  – Recruiting consultant in Philadelphia

6. “It’s amazing when people come in for an interview and say, ‘Can you tell me about your business?’ Seriously, people. There’s an Internet. Look it up.” –HR professional in New York City

7. “Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off.” –HR consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

8. “If you’ve got a weak handshake, I make a note of it.” –HR manager at a medical-equipment sales firm

9. “On salary, some companies try to lock you in early. At the first interview, they’ll tell me to say, ‘The budget for this position is 40K to 45K. Is that acceptable to you?’ If the candidate accepts, they’ll know they’ve got him or her stuck in that little area.” –HR professional in Alabama

10. “I once hired someone and her mother didn’t think the salary we were offering was high enough, so she called me to negotiate. There are two problems with that: 1) I can’t negotiate with someone who’s not you. 2) It’s your mother. Seriously, I was like, ‘Did that woman’s mother just call me, or was that my imagination?’ I immediately withdrew the offer.” –HR professional in New York City