HR Reps And Hiring Managers Are Sharing What They're Looking For In 2025 Hires, And You're Gonna Wanna Bookmark This
Whether you're looking for a new challenge or a bigger paycheck, the beginning of a new year is often a busy time for job seekers, HR reps, and hiring managers alike. Though the thought of starting a new role can be exciting, the job hunt itself can be a long and painful slog.
And if you don't know how to impress HR reps, recruiters, and hiring managers, your job hunt can be even more miserable than it needs to be (see: my entire 20s).
To find out what folks who hire people for a living are looking for in 2025, we asked the HR reps and managers of the BuzzFeed Community to share their tips, and they did not let us down. Here's what they had to say:
Remember that depending on your industry, you may want to take some of these tips with a grain of salt. Always stick to best practices and norms in your field, and look for a mentor like a former boss or colleague if you want more personalized advice.
1.Do make like Sabrina Carpenter and keep your résumé short and sweet.
"Make sure your résumé is no longer than two pages, no matter how many jobs you’ve had. And make sure everything is spelled correctly."
—Stacey, Business Office Manager
2.Don't hit send on your cover letter without making sure you've made any updates or edits that may be needed.
"I get recycled cover letters for other positions or even other companies far too often. I know it’s a hassle to update a cover letter, but it’s worth it. I never interview applicants who send in a cover letter for the wrong company or position because that tells me the applicant isn’t paying attention to details. If you, the applicant, don’t pay attention during the application process, how can I trust you will pay attention in the position?"
—Diane, Director
3.Don't spam every company in your town with your résumé.
"Be intentional in your application — don't just apply for every job at a company to hope something sticks. Always think about how you can position yourself to showcase what you can bring to the company, not just what the company can do for you."
—Julie, HR Generalist
4.Do explain any gaps in your résumé or frequent job changes in your cover letter.
"If you're a job hopper, include a note explaining why. People with new jobs every 6 months or a year are automatically passed over unless you give us a reason to consider you. In your special skills, I don't care that you play the ukulele or flute; it doesn't make you unique; it makes you seem like you don't get the point.
I get hundreds of résumés for a single position, so on my first pass through them, I knock off anyone who is clearly unfit for the position or doesn't have the right length of experience. Then people that miss the mark, go next. I leave most people as maybes, and the ones that stand out get interviews. Stand out = clean, easy-to-read résumé, related experience, a note to go with the résumé, following application instructions (i.e., respond to questions or submit a video). Keep it simple and straightforward."
—Kristen, Head of HR
5.Don't bug HR about your application.
"For the love of chocolate, PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME. I'm busy. I'm doing more than just reading hundreds of résumés. I'm doing payroll, investigations, training and development, onboarding, orientations, reporting, and keeping management from doing something stupid. Calling me incessantly asking for an update on your application is only going to motivate me to put yours in the trash since most job listings request zero phone calls, so that means you either can't read or you can't follow instructions.
Also, many ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) delay sending a rejection email for up to 72 hours so that you don't get an instant rejection. Be patient. I promise you will hear something, be it positive or negative, from the employer."
—Erin, Human Resources Manager
6.Do put in the extra work to tailor your résumé to the job you want.
"Tailor your résumé for each job you're applying for instead of making a single generic résumé and hoping that it works for them all. Study the job requirements in the posting and link your accomplishments to those."
—Erin, Human Resources Manager
7.Do read up on the company before you interview.
"Do your research on the company prior to the interview. I don't expect you to know the full history, but I do expect you to know the basics — what the company does/produces, what the job you're applying for does, and bonus points if you can point out something from the mission statement or core values."
—Erin, Human Resources Manager
8.Do keep an open mind and be willing to learn new skills so you can snag a new role.
"I work in manufacturing. We are increasingly struggling to find people with blue-collar trade skills — industrial electricians, in particular. If you are good with your hands and want to learn a useful skill, go to a trade school or community college. There is an ever-increasing demand for people with practical skills!"
—Heath, Assistant HR Manager
9.Unless it's a longstanding norm in your field, don't put your headshot on your résumé.
"Understand that when you put your headshot, your graduation year, or experience beyond the last 10-15 years on your résumé, you are opening yourself up to bias, either conscious or unconscious, on the part of the recruiter or hiring manager. Everyone has biases; not everyone is always aware of them. You want to get a foot in the door with your résumé, not create a reason to be rejected. Stick to a basic résumé that conveys your accomplishments clearly and concisely."
—Amy, Senior Recruiter
10.And don't get too personal on your résumé.
"Please stop putting your personal interests on your résumé. I never liked seeing when people put totally irrelevant things on their résumé like 'watching football' or 'watching Breaking Bad' in a personal interests section.
The best case scenario is that the person screening your résumé will be biased in your favor and think, 'Hey, this person likes football; I love football! I should give them a job!' It doesn’t usually work, and I don’t recommend it."
—David, HR Manager
11.Do dress for success and show up to your interview looking the part.
"My first rule is I don't hire people (or progress them to the next stage of the recruitment process) who don't turn up to an interview in a suit or smart business dress. If you can't make the effort to dress appropriately for an interview, you're not right for my team. It sounds shallow, but those first impressions really matter in the world of marketing and PR, as does the common sense to take care of the finer details.You can learn skills on the job. You can't learn common sense, and you can't redo a first impression."
12.Don't rely too heavily on AI, and if you use it, always check its work.
"If you are using a template or AI, please please go through it and fill in what it leaves for you to fill in on your own.I saw one the other day that was looking great, but towards the bottom, said, 'increased retention by (add percent). Worked directly for the VP for (add years).'"
13.Do use important keywords from the job description in your résumé.
"The biggest résumé standout for a good applicant is any 'buzzword' listed as a prerequisite or requirement from the job description. If I have something listed as a requirement, and you have experience with it, make it loud and clear on your résumé!Ex. Experience with any industry quality standard, accreditation, or certification (NADCAP, ISO, ASTM, etc).I'm a general manager who has interviewed 100+ applicants for 15+ openings at two different aerospace laboratories in 2024. My labs work under incredibly strict quality and operational standards, and we list these on every job opening. If an applicant has experience working under these standards, they get fast-tracked for interviews."
14.Do add data to your résumé to show the impact of your work.
"On your résumé, list your accomplishments instead of duties."
"Can't emphasize the part about listing accomplishments versus just duties enough. Give numbers if possible. There is a big difference between stating that you were responsible for safety, for example, and defining that you reduced accidents by 30% over a two-year period."
15.Do keep an eye on your spam folder and other profiles or places where potential employers might message you.
"Make sure to check your spam folder and voicemails when applying for jobs. Not all recruiters or hiring managers are going to text you, and your email may think the sender is a spambot at first. Don’t be someone who loses out on an opportunity over these things."
16.And finally, know that you don't have to be a perfect match for the job description to land the role.
"Don't worry about checking all the boxes for the requirements. Attitude and personality are just as, if not more important than qualifications. Shower, use deodorant (not heavy perfumes or colognes), brush your teeth, and wear clean clothes — all of this should be obvious, but you'd be surprised. Sending a thank you email afterwards also helps you stand out. If you're job searching in 2025, good luck. You've got this, you'll rock it, and you will get that job. I believe in you!"
—Erin, Human Resources Manager
Are you looking for a new job this year? Tell us what you're noticing in the 2025 job market so far in the comments!
