The Random Recruiter
Headhunter with a decade of experience; high‑engagement posts on HR/recruiting processes, compensation, and performance management realities.
Adulting: The Awkwardness of Requesting Earned PTO
How it feels asking your manager, as a grown adult, if you can use your own PTO days that you earned
HR's Icy Stare when You Demand Cash over Coffee
The look The Evil HR Lady gives you when you ask for a cash bonus instead of a $5 Starbucks gift card
Parents Plead Early Exit for Kids' Game
A grown adult begging another grown adult to leave 30 minutes early to see their kid's ball game
Online Applications Force You to Retype Your Resume
When you apply online with your resume and the next page is 37 empty fields asking you to type it all in again
Job Rejection Lands at 4:47 PM Tuesday
Checking your phone at 4:47 PM on a Tuesday and seeing "Thank you for your interest, but we've decided to move forward with other candidates"
Hiring Red Flags Reveal Hidden Discrimination and Bias
Red flags when hiring: - Job hopper. 3 jobs in 5 years? They’ll leave you too. - Resume gap. If nobody else wanted them, why would you? - Has kids. They’ll end up taking all of their PTO instead of working. - Has...
HR Demands Impossible Experience for Brand‑new Tech
The Evil HR Lady when you don’t have 5 years of experience with a technology that’s only been out for one year
Even Top Reviews Earn Barely‑noticeable Raises
When the office finds out you got "exceeds expectations" on your performance review with a 2.3% raise
AI-Powered Ranking Fuels Productivity Despite Illness
Solid week so far heading into Friday. • 2 deals on the board • 4 interviews scheduled for next week (so far) • 2nd in the company in client submissions this week All while battling a nasty stomach bug. The ability to use AI...
Even After Seven Interviews, HR Can Still Ghost
POV: You ask The Evil HR Lady why you got ghosted after 7 rounds of interviews
Recruiters Reject Resumes Based on Buzzword Count
Recruiters trying to figure out if your resume has the optimized amount of buzzwords before automatically rejecting your resume
Mass Layoffs Reduce Employees to Spreadsheet Numbers
Oracle cut 30,000 people with a 6am email this morning. At the end of the day we are all just a number on a spreadsheet.
Six Interviews, yet They Still Picked an Internal Hire
When you see "we decided to go with an internal candidate" after 6 rounds of interviews
Skills without Work Experience Are Meaningless to Recruiters
"If it's not in your work experience, it didn't happen." For example, let's say you list Python in your skills and summary. But nowhere in your work experience. Did you use it professionally or take a course? 1 year or 5? Recruiters aren't...
Choose Management for Coaching, Not Just Career Climbing
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your career is getting into management "just because." Too many people think the only way up is a linear path from IC to manager to director to VP. Becoming a manager is a...
Exciting Opportunity? Expect a Marathon Interview Process
When the recruiter says “I have an exciting opportunity” and suddenly you’re in a 7 round interview loop
When “Critical Business Cycle” Blocks Your PTO
This is the guy denying your PTO request and calling it “a critical business cycle.”
CEO Cuts 20% Staff, Stock Jumps 8% Today
When the CEO lays off 20% of the workforce and the stock jumps 8% by close
Praise Publicly, Criticize Privately: Protect Your Managerial Seat
This is why you need to learn how to "manage up". I personally follow one rule: praise in public, criticize in private. If I have something good to say, I say it in front of the whole team. If I...
AI Spurs Hiring Surge: 55% CEOs Plan to Expand Workforce
KPMG just surveyed CEOs of large U.S. companies on their 2026 hiring plans. Here's what it says: • Only 9% plan to cut jobs because of AI. • 55% plan to INCREASE hiring because of AI. • 36% plan on no change in...
Final Interview: Solve Real Business Problem Live
POV: You’re on round 8 of the interview process and they ask you to present a solution to their actual business problem to a panel of 6 people
Six Interviews, Then a Vague Rejection: Hiring Reality
When the hiring manager says “we decided to go in a different direction” after 6 rounds of interviews