I am a HR Manager - I want to help you get and prepare for interviews! AMA!

Is linkedIn a valuable way to get a job or is it a waste of time?

very very valuable! also connections are great! they have groups for job openings and are a great way to give a professional vibe before they ever see you in person.

You really sound like a HR dude.

I love HR, im a just nerd at heart who happens to like people hah

The last company I worked at had Jerry the HR guy. Jerry was a super-geek about HR. I asked him to explain to me once how he got in to HR.

He said basically that he never grew up, and HR gave him rules and structure, and a job involving a lot of creativity. He loved it, and he delivered my favorite quote - "HR is just something that I love, and if I listed the best things about myself, it would be my wife, then HR. Everything else on the list comes from those 2 things."

It was refreshing to be around a guy who just felt his job and didn't overthink. A dude who just felt he fit perfectly with his job, and he was good at it. I loved and hated him.

That sounds like me. I love my job. I love getting in bright and early and doing what I do best. And the rules and structures part is so true, and so great.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

doing HR! How about you?

Is "on the other side of this desk asking the same question" a bad response? I tried it in a interview once and the guy laughed but I didn't get the job. Maybe people feel it as threatening?

Threatening and cocky as hell. Not a good one man.

Besides putting in every buzz word known to man how the hell do I get my resume picked to be reviewed by a human? You need to have a masters in SEO to get your resume pulled from the 1000 that are in a company's database.

It all depends on the size of the company, and where you are applying to. Large companies in fact screen for buzz words and dont count them. The #1 best way to get your resume noticed is to start every single sentence with an "Action" word. such as :

Wrote xxxxxxx

Reviewed XXXXX

Reported regarding xxxxxxxx

make them eye catching, and also very very important - have action words similiar / identical to the ones in the original job description or posting, if there is a system it usually screens for those with extra weight!

I also heard that you should write the outcome of those actions too, like "Wrote xxxxx which resulted in yyyy." Would you agree with that? If so, how can I as an entry-level applicant use that technique?

Depends on the action:

For instance:

"Wrote Reports which resulted in numbers."

Is silly, but

"Administered the company intranet which resulted in more fluid communication"

Hell yes!

Do cover letters really matter? I often put a lot of effort into them but I'm never sure if anyone ever looks at them especially these days where most big firms have their own career portals where you just upload your resumes. If they do matter, any tips on making them stick out?

It depends on the position and company.

Small companies really care about the little details, same with high up managers looking at people for executive / senior managerial positions because attention to detail and extra effort really matter.

The most important thing behind a cover letter is not the letter itself but rather that you want this job bad enough to tailor your resume extra to it - it shows them that you are not just cramming your "HEY LOOK I CAN WORK TOO!" page everywhere.

But for a large company / entry level job it doesn't particularly matter, I usually take a 3 second glance at it because I have a stack of 100 in front of me. But a good cover letter will almost always push you from the "No" to the "hmm maybe" pile just out of interest if it is an entry level position.

It was sort of asked already, but more specifically: What's a good answer to that old trap question "What's your greatest weakness?" I hate saying "I work too hard."

honest and brutal but with a bright future kind of answer.

"my biggest weakness is that I have trouble transitioning from one project to another in the middle of things, I am very serious about finishing what I started and I don't stop until the job is done. However, lately I have been working on that and forcing multitasking into my daily life a bit, hopefully the results will show once we have multiple plates spinning" the important thing is to always make it look like there is hope and improvement for you down the line, and if you really wanna layer it on, add "with your guidance and mentoring as a supervisory, hopefully I will move past this one weakness"

What impresses you the most by interviewees? What are the biggest common mistakes they make?

Best tips for making sure you're prepared as possible?

Hmm, this is rather vague but I perfer professionalism and real life experience.

I ask behavior based interview questions - so having real life knowledge and answers ready is always good.

Admitting flaw is important too, if I ask them to tell me about a project they came short on and they give me the old BS, I usually see it as a negative.

Also, Ask questions, always ask questions, about me, my position, the company, what I just told you. A good interview is not review, its a discussion as to why you would be a good fit for the company, and a set of good questions for me can make all the difference in a candidate.

I never have questions at the end, when they ask "any more questions?" I always feel they've given me the gist of it and I can't think of anything else to ask. I have no idea what a good question to ask would be since we'd already discussed what I'd be doing, who I'd be working with, my schedule and availability, my past, blah blah. What are some good ones to start with that I can ask?

Also, how do you feel if someone asks about you like you just mentioned? If I'm asking my manager, interviewee, or HR what they do and whatever, I feel like that's a bit nosey as it's none of my business since what I'll be doing has nothing to do with what they do?

Ok you have two parts so:

1) ALWAYS have questions! Always! Something like "tell me about the history of this position" or "tell me more about the culture of your organization" or "so who is your primary demographic for sales?" "do you have international operations?" "how are benefits?" anything! show you are interested, thats why we ask!!

2) Ask general questions you will find out on the first day anyway, how long have you been in this position, what are you looking for in a candidate, tell them a brief anecdote you know they will be able to relate too, etc, its all very situational and if you cant think of anything, just keep it short and professional, maybe a compliment on their clothes that seems real (not "you like nice today") more like "I like how you chose a wide collar to compliment your sweater, maybe I will start doing that" etc.

"I like how you chose a wide collar to compliment your sweater, maybe I will start doing that"

Really??? That's brazen sycophancy, no?

yeah but we like it.

If a candidate started talking to you as a friend not as an interviewer, how would you take it? What I mean is, if before starting the interview I asked about your day, your weekend, your time in university getting your degree, just random shit to talk about. Would it leave an impression of "Hmm, what a great guy!" or a negative one?

Hmm, that is interesting. While it has never happened to me (at least to the extent of asking about my day!) I would find it pleasant to a point. A few brief questions after or in between theirs would be very welcome, and put them at ease so I don't mind. However if the process breaks down and he talks to me like an old time friend It might be a hallmark of a person who either does not take things seriously or has trouble grasping the importance of an initial professional impression.

So I suppose it would be great to a point friendly guy > business robot but only as long as they are both equally professional and fit for the job.

What are some tips to make your cover letter stand out? Also, when you call someone to schedule an interview, do you prefer when the person gets excited (shows passion/enthusiasm), or when they remain calm (more of a professional decorum)?

I prefer controlled excitement! Its always great when someone is enthusiastic but if they are shouting "OH GOD YES THANK YOU!" it makes you wonder what the hell are they so desperate about - initial instinct isn't "oh they have a family to feed" it is "i wonder how bad they screwed up at their last job"

Oohh thank you for doing this. I'm in the middle of a horribly discouraging search for my first required engineering internship.

How long does it usually take to get back to somebody when they submit a resume/cover letter? (aka should I be panicking like I am?)

Also is it appropriate to contact the company after a few weeks and inquire about my submission/what would be the most polite way to do that?

It takes 1 day to 2 weeks, depending on the amount of applications / importance the company places on the job.

Yes, call back, give them a followup call and ask to speak to the person in charge of filling job XX, ask them what the next step is for you.

How much internet stalking do you think most recruiters do before interviewing you?

Depends on how many interviews I go through, or what the background check shows. Usually only a small amount.

After giving an interview, should I spit or swallow?

I think we differ in our hiring practices.

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Depends on the culture of the corporation! Heels at IBM? you won't be taken seriously. No heels at H&M? You won't be taken seriously