Full Session Replay: Inside the Hiring Mind - Ask a Recruiter

What Recruiters Actually Look For and How to Stand Out Faster

The fastest way to shorten a job search is not to apply harder. It’s to understand how hiring decisions actually get made and align your execution accordingly.

In this session, we went inside the recruiter’s perspective with Michael Brown, former Verizon leader and current recruiter at Spectrum, to break down what really happens between application and offer—and where strong candidates unintentionally fall out of the process.

Below is a recap of the most important insights from the conversation, along with the replay and next steps.

🎥 Watch the Full Replay Below:

The Reality of How Resumes Are Screened

One of the most important clarifications from the session:

At Spectrum, resumes are reviewed manually.

There is no AI auto-rejecting strong candidates.

But there is a constraint most candidates underestimate:

Recruiters spend 10–12 seconds deciding whether a resume is worth deeper review.

That means:

• Alignment must be obvious immediately

• The top half of the resume does the heavy lifting

• Generic role descriptions don’t survive first pass

If a recruiter can’t quickly see how your recent experience fits the role, the resume doesn’t move forward—regardless of overall talent.

What Makes a Resume “Pop” to a Recruiter

Michael shared clear patterns that consistently stand out:

What Works

• Clear role alignment in recent experience

• Outcomes and results, not task lists

• Clean, readable formatting

• Language that reflects understanding of the actual work

What Hurts

• Copy-pasted job descriptions

• Long resumes that bury relevant experience

• Applying broadly to unrelated roles with one resume

• Inconsistencies between resume and application

One key warning surprised many attendees:

Recruiters can often see how many roles you’ve applied, so spray-and-pray behavior raises red flags.

Why “Tailoring” Matters (and What It Actually Means)

Tailoring isn’t about keyword stuffing.

It’s about signaling that you understand the business and the role.

Examples Michael gave:

Call-center roles → metrics like handle time, resolution rate, NPS

Leadership roles → coaching cadence, development systems, performance outcomes

Functional roles → language that matches the real operating environment

Tailoring shows intent, not desperation.

The Real Funnel: From 400 Applicants to an Offer

Michael walked through a real example:

• ~450 applicants

• Filtered by basic alignment and logistics

• ~83 worth deeper discussion

• Pre-recorded video screens

• Live recruiter screens

• Structured on-site interviews

• Final roundtable and stack ranking

Every step compounds small advantages—or exposes gaps.

The takeaway:

Hiring isn’t random. It’s sequential.

Networking Isn’t Optional—But Silence Isn’t Always Bad

Two important clarifications:

• Less than 10% of applicants proactively reach out to recruiters

• Recruiters do notice professional outreach

• Silence during review doesn’t automatically mean rejection

Spectrum uses automated status updates to avoid candidates falling into a black hole. The process takes time, and patience paired with professionalism matters.

LinkedIn: Strategic Tool, Not an Emotional Outlet

Michael reinforced a critical distinction:

Recruiters look at LinkedIn.

Best uses:

• Signal relevance and professionalism

• Reinforce experience and results

• Engage with people you actually want to work with

What to avoid:

• Doom posting

• Broadcasting rejection counts

• Treating LinkedIn like therapy

Used correctly, LinkedIn increases visibility. Used emotionally, it quietly works against you.

One of the Most Important Mindset Shifts

A theme we reinforced throughout the session:

❌ Track rejections

✅ Track leading indicators

Focus on:

• Meaningful conversations

• Quality follow-ups

• Relevant connections added

• Weekly improvement as a candidate

Outcomes follow execution—not the other way around.

Support Makes This Faster (and Less Stressful)

You don’t need to guess your way through this.

If you want help executing a smarter, recruiter-aligned job search, we provide:

• A structured job search activity tracker

• Resume templates built for clarity and screening speed

• Outreach scripts recruiters actually respond to

• Weekly live support sessions

• Ongoing feedback to improve week over week

The goal is simple: help you finish your job search sooner.

Investment

$100/month (no contracts)

or $600 total for full-search support

👉 Sign up here

Final Thought

Strong candidates don’t lose because they lack ability.

They lose because they don’t understand:

• How decisions are made

• What recruiters are scanning for

• Where small execution gaps compound

You already have the experience. This is about running a better process.

We’re here to help you do exactly that.

— Darren

Darren Webster is the Founder and CEO of Goalster, a technology and services company helping people and organizations achieve their most important goals through better execution, performance enablement, and ongoing development.

A former world championship-level athlete for Australia in sprint canoeing, Darren spent 15 years leading large teams at Verizon, where he developed a deep understanding of organizational high performance, along with the coaching and consulting industry.

Driven by a passion for helping people and teams reach their full potential, Darren built Goalster as a performance enablement platform designed to drive better results through execution, coaching, training, and accountability.