Want some insights on the easiest way to not get hired?

Here's a great example, guaranteed to ensure you won't be the next CEO!!!!

Excellent points CSM. Remember guys, it's a competition. The sheer volume of applicants for a given position often means that someone who has no clue what skills are needed for the position often does the initial screening of resume's.

I spoke to one HR person that simply looked through the stack of resume's and threw out any that didn't have the correct punctuation (and the job wasn't for an editor, it was for a computer geek).

Being a veteran might get you noticed, but after that it means dick. Same thing with a college degree... it might be something that gets your application on to the next level, but after that it means zip unless the hiring manager is an alumni of you alma mater.

What value do you bring to our team? If you can answer THAT, now you have something. I've gone into interviews and walked out with a different job than the one I applied to because they saw that I could bring value to their organization... they wanted ME, and then they kept looking for the "warm body to fill the position"

CSM Michael Lynch A local business always disqualifies any applicant wearing a 'wife-beater' shirt for lack of good sense!

I've noticed the same things. It's called in attention to detail and too many young people today suffer from it. What bugs me most of all are incorrectly spelled words, poor grammar, and punctuation

Don't submit a resume without a cover letter. More importantly, be sure that the cover letter format is uniform to that of the resume. I recently received a typed resume via fax with a cover letter that read, "I would be alright working for your company." And it appeared to be written with a sharpie. I must give credit to the fact that the applicant did follow up with a phone call, however, he initiated that call by saying, "did you get my fax?" I told him I did and he replied, "Okay, yeah, I figured I should start looking for a job seeing as my unemployment runs out this month."

Don't be that guy...

I'm no expert in this area (as judged by my stellar career trajectory), but one thing I would add is that email addresses should be professional as well. I had a buddy in college whose email address was “keggerdude@...”!

I work in the hotel industry and I have had applicants come in for interviews in short shorts and they bring their children with them. If you can't get a baby sitter for your interview, why should I believe you can get a baby sitter, if you are hired?

Interesting.

I would suggest a Google Voice number. It's free and especially if your number is disconnected for finacial reasons you can still get your vmail in text or email format.

I used to be the first point of contact at the company where I worked. Someone comes in applying for a job, never has worked in our industry, yet the conversation proves he knows so much about everything there is to know that he can't be trained. As soon as he is out the door his application is in the round file.

Would enjoy hearing why so many Human Resources personnel are unprofessional since you work in that line of business now. Why would one string me along for 8 weeks, another for 4 weeks, a number of them have had me stop the rotation of the earth to customize my resume for their job need, or, flat out calls of, "Hey I saw your resume, etc., only to not hear back from any of them again... I can see your point of the unemployed doing stupid things while applying, as you had stated in your post, however, what gives on the other side of the arena? How are Veterans to combat the sly hiring moves from the many H.R. departments? Thank you for your time! Jim