What Hiring Managers Don’t Tell Job Applicants

What Hiring Managers Don’t Tell Job Applicants-Resume Rescue - Kylie Dowell

Did you ever wonder what secrets hiring managers keep from the applicants that they have to screen? Although rather controversial, Resume Rescue believes it’s important that we share these with you. This helpful guide will tell you some of the more shocking revelations that managers often don’t tell job applicants.

  • “The position may already be taken, and you wouldn’t know.” In some areas, large companies and government agencies are required by law to advertise positions, even though they may have already decided to hire a friend, family member or have an internal employee for the job. Or the position doesn’t actually exist and they are just feeling the waters to see what type of responses they would get from applicants and who is interested in working for them. You might be going to a job interview for a position that may not exist.
  • “If you’ve been unemployed for more than ½ a year, you’re basically unemployable by most standards (unless you’re self-employed – that’s different).” It’s true that employers have a prejudice against the unemployed, but the fact is that there is some credence to it. It suggests that others have passed you over, and that you may not have been doing much to actually get a job.
  • “We stereotype people more often than not. That includes your business email address.” There’s a reason it’s harder to get a job if you’re heavy or unattractive. Hiring managers stereotype people at a moment’s notice simply because it’s a quick way to make a decision, and more often than not, time is an issue when hiring someone. Even something like your email address can bar you from getting a job.
  • “Connections matter. A lot.” You wouldn’t believe how much your networking skills matter when you are getting hired at a major company. Sometimes it can override your resume.
  • “By the time that you walk in the door at the first or second interview, there’s a pretty good chance that we have already learned a lot more about you than just what happens to be on your resume.” The vast majority of hiring managers look up people on Facebook before they hire them. So, you know that bawdy photo of you from that party last Saturday that was on public view? Yep, they saw that and probably already made a snap decision about whether or not you should be hired. 
  • “We are under a lot of pressure. Please don’t stress us out.” Hiring managers are often under a lot of pressure from both their bosses and their job applicants. People who add to that stress are not going to get hired. Period.
  • “Hiring managers are not opposed to testing you out.” Many Human Resource Officers will test you out with a written or verbal test before hiring you, but it can be a lot more subtle than that. If you want to get a job, expect to pass subtle tests that you may never even know are tests at all. Be very careful of what you say, what you do, and how you do it when you are headed to a job interview. Otherwise, your carelessness may end up causing you to fail a test you didn’t even know you had to take. 
  • “We don’t like to hire people who have kids or are expecting.” Many offices avoid hiring people with large families, as well as women who are pregnant or intending to become pregnant due to the fact that it can take away from the time that they spend in the office, and also due to the fact that they may require higher wages in order to stay afloat. Some managers will even go so far as to try to find out whether applicants have kids by looking into their car or casually asking them.

Although, there are laws against many of above listed practices and for some it would be hard to prove the harsh truth is that it is common practice. We hope this article makes it easier for you to identify and to prepare for them.

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