52 secrets your HR person won't tell you

 Ah, those inscrutable human resources professionals – also known as HR specialists, HR or simply “the people upstairs”. Like another mythic figure, they know who’s been naughty or nice, and Australia’s workers – keen to hold on to their jobs – know they’d better watch out. We gave HR professionals a chance to tell us what really hap- pens behind the closed doors of corporate Australia. Whether you use their insider tips to keep a job or get a job, they definitely come across as human – and resourceful.

 

 

“Watch your email address. If it’s sexykitty@hotmail.com or dooms- day slayer@yahoo.com, get a new address. Your curriculum vitae should be businesslike.”

 Shirley Watt, director of About Recruitment, a Sydney-based agency

 

“I have no problem with a two-page résumé, but three pages is pushing it. And, please, make the font bigger than 8 point!”

 Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant

 

‘ Don’t put more than 15 years of experience on your CV. It makes you look like a dinosaur

 HR manager at a multinational company

 

“Write a cover letter, but make sure you address it to the right company and for the right job! Many times I have received a cover letter that says, ‘I’d be really interested in working with XYZ company’ when XYZ company is not us.”

 Sarah Hughes, Sydney HR consultant

 

“Be prepared! Know why you want to work for a company and be clear about where you can add value.”

 D i r e c t o r , boutique recruitment agency

 

“When it comes to getting a job, who you know really does matter. No matter your résumé or experience, it’s all about connections.”

 

“Never tell why you left a company. Any reason you give will skewer you, whether you were made redundant or left for a better opportunity. Everybody moves on, so there’s no reason to explain.”

 

“Once you’re unemployed more than six months, you’re considered pretty much unemployable. We assume that other people have already passed you over, so we don’t want anything to do with you.”

 Cynthia Shapiro, former HR executive and author

 

“Résumés don’t need coloured paper to stand out. And dropping off your résumé is not a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.”

 Rich DeMatteo, HR consultant