I wouldn't consider myself an interviewing expert by any means. I've had my fair share of interview bloopers in my past- who doesn't? What I do know is that after countless hours reading through resumes, interviewing potential candidates and juggling the multitude of applicants for each position, I have come to the conclusion that I am a firm believer in making a lasting first impression.

It wasn't until I started at iCIMS as their Corporate Recruiter that I began to take notice of certain pet-peeves in the application & interviewing process. My intention in writing this blog post is not to vent or nit-pick about my experiences (good & bad) with less-than-experienced interviewees. However, my goal is to educate those on what goes through the mind of a recruiter when reviewing resumes & interviewing for the job.

The Resume:
Take everything you've done through the course of your career. Take all of your accomplishments, all your awards, all your successes and put them into words in 12-point Times New Roman font and make sure that it fits on one page. Tough feat, I know!

• First and foremost, forget the one-page rule. For entry-level grads coming out of college, sticking to one page is the rule of thumb. But this is your chance to get in front of the recruiter; this is your chance to light up their eyes! If that means spilling your experience onto two pages, by all means, go right ahead. Years ago, when the hiring was good, getting by with the basic job description on a resume would do. However, as applicants are hitting the 'Apply' button more than ever, you want to make sure your resume highlights all those keywords recruiters are plugging into an applicant tracking system search. I'm not asking you to lie on your resume; I’m just asking you to leave nothing to the recruiter’s imagination.
• Please, (please, please) proofread. Send out your resume to family, friends, and neighbors; anyone who will be able to look at it from a view other than your own. You’ll be amazed at things you’ve managed to overlook.
• Talk about your successes. Stop copying and pasting the company job description that was given to you 5 years ago and call them your "responsibilities". You and I know that there was a lot more you were held accountable for. Make sure that you detail your success; what value did YOU bring to the organization?

The Interview:
There are plenty of articles out there that cite "Best Interview Practices , and they all have a common theme: "Make a Lasting First Impression". What never ceases to amaze me is that there are still a handful of people that chose to disregard these articles and pave their own way.

• BE. ON. TIME. I don't care what you have to do to get to your interview on time. There are very few excuses for being late. As lame as it sounds, take a test drive the day before so you know exactly where the building is! On the same note, please don't show up 45 minutes early. Relax in your car, read over your notes, call friends for advice, but please try to arrive no earlier than 15-20 minutes.
• DO YOUR RESEARCH! - This here, my friends, is my BIGGEST pet-peeve. The internet is a lovely thing. And fortunately, most companies have a lot of press about them these days! It’s a smack in the face when I ask candidates what they know about our organization and the reply I get is "not too much." I am most impressed when people show they took time to read up on our organization, checked us out on on Twitter, went to our Facebook page, etc. It shows a certain level of interest and commitment to their job search.
• TAKE NOTES. ASK QUESTIONS. So you've made it through the interview, then the interviewer asks "Do you have any questions for me?". Don't ever respond with "Well, no, I think you covered everything." Go into your interview with at least 5 questions prepared in advance (be careful not to ask a question if it has already been answered in the interview). By asking good, detailed questions, it shows a level of interest in the opportunity you're applying for.

I guess my take away from this blog post is that Preparation and First Impressions truly do go a long way. Take your job search seriously; it can be considered a full-time job in itself! With that being said, make sure that with each opportunity you get to present yourself to a potential employer, you make a full-time commitment to make sure it’s a lasting one.

For other interview advice follow:  @InterviewCoach
About the author: Lewis Lin is a Seattle-based interview coach who prepares clients for the difficult questions that will come their way during a job search.
Why you should follow him: Lin Tweets his own interview tips, as well as other experts' advice and news articles

...that 33.3% of verifiable information on resumes is lies?  That fun little fact I learned in my HR class is something I’ll remember for a while.  I’m sure if you’re a recruiter or hiring manager reading this, you may not be as surprised as I was upon learning this.  But it does make you think – how much experience do candidates actually have?

In this economic climate, obviously times are tough.  The job market is looking pretty brutal and I, for one, am scared out of my mind since I’m still an undergrad.  (Hence, why I am here gaining experience at iCIMS as an intern!)  I read in a recent article that “job losses in the current recession have been more severe than expected as employers hold off on hiring and federal stimulus spending takes months to work its way through the economy.”  With that being said, it’s no surprise that people are starting to pad up their resumes in hopes of finding some kind of job.  I’ve even read about people putting blocks of keywords in white font on resumes so that applicant tracking systems rate them higher.  In my opinion, that just bumps the percentage of lies up quite a bit.  By padding your resume, you’re putting false hope in the employer that you’re a qualified candidate.  It only sets you up for one thing – failure.  Of course there is always more to a recruiting and hiring process than reviewing the resume, but that is almost always one of the first steps.  How good do you look in person compared to how good you look on paper?

For the economic time being, recruiters and hiring managers have their work cut out for them.  With more and more job-seekers and fewer positions, the competition is greater and the pool of applicants is ever growing.  So, for all those recruiters and hiring managers out there – be extra weary of falsehoods on those resumes.  Your job may have just gotten harder.

It's the middle of summer in iCIMS-land and most of us are longing for the beach: sitting under the cloudless sky, reading trashy novels and watching seagulls steal our sandwiches. Don’t be fooled though, there’s always staffing work to be done, and summer is a fantastic opportunity for any business seeking seasonal employees. Whether it's a law firm looking for summer interns, a tax preparation company getting income tax specialists during April, or a retailer looking for help on the floor during the holiday season, there’s always a need for seasonal hires. In fact, according to a CareerBuilder study, 34% of retail employees during the summer are seasonal hires.

While it’s always tempting just to get out of the office, there may not be enough time to sort through all of your incoming applications, emails, and paperwork as it is. But let’s step back: if you’ve done the right work, started your game early and have staffing plans in place, you deserve that cool drink by the shore. Now, while we’re not ashamed to toot our own horn here at iCIMS and say we’ve got a pretty comprehensive solution for seasonal and mass hiring needs, there are a couple of tricks that might even go beyond software.

For example, this AllBusiness article has some pretty good ideas for getting young talent. Since many college and high-school students have time-off during the summer, they’re usually a good start. Think of a plan to raid the local schools and universities, and do it early. While there are plenty of students willing to put in summer work, you need to give yourself enough time to evaluate your need across these applicants. Checking Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace is also a good idea to find driven workers. You might also find plenty of retirees looking for work as well, so be sure you tap into these circles, as well.

Another valuable pieces of advice is to encourage referrals. If you have happy, dedicated employees already, why not let them help source your candidates? Referral programs are typically cheaper and more efficient than other means of sourcing, and they can boost morale across your organization. Many employees wouldn’t mind working along a friend or two, and if these are quality employees they’ll likely supply quality referrals. After all, your workers certainly want to look good within your company - and make a little bit of the referral bonus you’re offering. (You are offering one, aren’t you?)

Remember, your organization’s success depends on how it responds to industry trends and demands. And if you prepare with the right mix of workers at the right time, you can stand on solid footing as a recruiter, even wearing sandals and a pair of sunglasses. But don’t get too comfortable – the holiday shopping season is only 4 months away!