I don’t know how I ended up with all these Quora updates in my inbox, but I’m glad I did.
Why?
Because I think there’s useful information over there for you, job hunter!
Heck, I’m even learning some things!
It seems many recruiters use Quora and are happy to share their thoughts and opinions. Here are some snippets:
On Cover Letters:
Do recruiters read cover letters?
Hard truth on this one: absolutely not. Not only do we not usually read them, most of the time we don’t even open that attachment or give cover letters a cursory glance. It’s such a waste of time. Many companies have even stopped asking for them altogether.
But I’ll tell you who DOES read cover letters: hiring managers…
On Resume Red Flags:
What’s the first thing employers notice on a resume?
“The first thing I noticed was if a candidate was professional or not, specifically based on the email address that was used. It’s common knowledge that if you only have one email address, best practice is to not use nicknames or aliases as your handle.”
And there’s so much more on this topic…
On Interviews:
As an employer, why didn’t you hire the last ten people you interviewed?
- Said during an interview he just needs any job to move to Germany, did not seem to care about the position, just wanted a working visa.
- Talked to me like I was his best buddy from the 5th grade and behaved unprofessionally.
- At the last stage of the interviews, was totally rude to one of our senior heads of department. When she asked what was his biggest achievement, he asked her “ and what is your biggest achievement”?
- When asked why do you want to work for us in this specific position, answered “Well you contacted me, not the other way around.”
- Was late all the time without apologizing or giving a reason.
These are just a few examples of the trove of information that sits on Quora.
Of course, you need to consider the source when weeding through this advice. I’m always happy to answer your questions if you’re unsure whether some advice you’ve received is good.
