For this article, I interviewed Elizabeth Lalli-Reese, from Starr Tincup in Fort Worth, by asking her some questions I thought job-seekers might be curious about. I figured it would be a refreshing change to get to see from an actual recruiter’s perspective. Elizabeth Lalli-Reese has over ten years experience in Human Resources and Talent Acquisition. The following is the very informative conversation we had.
Me: “When I submit my resume as a job-seeker, why do I not always get a response email in return?”
Lalli: “In this economy, the candidate response rate could be in the hundreds to thousands! While in a perfect world I would love to be able to reach out to each person individually, it’s only the most qualified candidates who end up getting an email due to the sheer number of applicants.”
Me: “If I submit a resume, should I do anything else after that?”
Lalli: “I am always impressed when a job-seeker connects with me on Linkedin because it shows initiative and it also allows me to easily see their recommendations.”
Me: “So after I submit my resume, how long should it take for a recruiter to contact me? How long should I wait before I know it’s time for me to move on?”
Lalli: “If the company wants to talk with you, then you should expect to hear from them anytime between one week and a month. The process often takes so long because sorting through the huge volume of resumes that comes in can be quite a task for the recruiter. Also, if the process takes an extremely long time, it could even be because the hiring manager is the delay, not the recruiter.”
Me: “What’s the best way to get my foot in the door with a company?”
Lalli: “Engage online with people doing the job that you want to do at the company that you are interested in, and start a dialogue with them. Sites like Linkedin and Twitter are great resources for this.”
Me: “What’s the best way to give the recruiter a good first impression?”
Lalli: “Connect with me via Linkedin and Twitter, or send me a well written, specifically targeted, introduction letter.”
Me: “What are things you see in a resume or hear in an interview that are automatic ‘next’ buttons when people do them?”
Lalli: “Oh lots of things! First of all, I hate it when people are late to an interview. It’s much better to be early, even if it means sitting in your car and waiting until ten minutes before your appointment. It looks bad when candidates don’t have questions to ask me at the end of the interview, badmouth their previous employer, or swear. I will definitely not hire someone who is not honest about their background or who brings someone to the interview with them, like their boyfriend, mom, or child. Also, if you come to interview with me, it’s crucial that you know what my company does. You should always do the research before you come.”
Me: “Final question, do you Google your candidates’ names?”
Lalli: “Oh yes, specifically for positions that will have client contact. Make sure that if I Google you, the information I find will match your resume.”