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Insights from hiring Professionals
Interview with Sr Manager & Hiring Professional
Q: What types of jobs were you recruiting for?
A: I was recruiting for production jobs. Some of them needed portfolios or demo reels, but for PA (Production Assistant), assistant, or coordinator roles, I focused only on resumes.
Q: Were these artistic or non-artistic roles?
A: Mostly non-artistic and administrative roles—people working in the office, not on the creative side.
Q: How did people find your job listings?
A: We were a well-known company, so many candidates found us via our website or career page. When we had a lot of roles open, we’d also post on Instagram and Twitter.
Q: How did candidates reach out to you?
A: Most applied directly through our website. Some messaged me on LinkedIn.
Q: What happened when someone applied through the company website?
A: The application went into our applicant tracking system (ATS), which worked with our candidate management system (CMS). That created a complete record including their resume.
Q: How did you review applications?
A: I’d go into the CMS, select a job posting, and see all applicants. I reviewed resumes directly from there, then chose whether to pass or escalate to the hiring manager.
Q: How many applications would you get for one open coordinator role?
A: Over a thousand resumes, typically within a week.
Q: Did you personally look at all the resumes?
A: Yes, though some systems help with a first pass by filtering for keywords. But I preferred to look at them all myself.
Q: How long did you spend on each resume?
A: Less than 5 seconds if the candidate clearly wasn’t qualified. If they were, I’d spend another 15–20 seconds looking deeper into their experience.
Q: What stood out to you in a resume?
A: I looked for relevant experience, reverse chronological order, bullet points tailored to the job, and something that hinted at the person’s personality—like a “special interests” section.
Q: How many jobs did candidates typically have?
A: For PAs or assistants, some were fresh out of college. Coordinators often had around five years of experience and had worked at multiple companies.
Q: Would you consider someone with no work experience?
A: Yes, for entry-level PA roles. I’d look for relevant college experience, like student film projects or leadership roles.
Q: What does a PA (Production Assistant) do?
A: In live action, a PA runs errands and helps where needed. In animation, they handle more office work, scheduling, and production support.
Q: What resume format do you prefer?
A: Clean, organized, easy to read. It should be tailored to the specific job, using similar language from the job description.
Q: How do you tailor a resume to the job?
A: Read the job description and describe your experience using similar wording. Highlight relevant experience, not everything you’ve ever done.
Q: What will instantly eliminate a resume?
A: Inconsistent fonts or styles, and typos. These show a lack of attention to detail, which is crucial for the roles I was hiring for.
Q: How much information should a resume include?
A: Enough to be clear and concise. Your resume should tell who you are, what you’ve done, your relevant experience, and give a small sense of your personality.
Q: Do you like when candidates include personal details or interests?
A: Yes. It helps give a sense of who they are and how they might fit with the team culture.
Q: How did people reach out to you on LinkedIn?
A: They’d send direct messages. But recruiters’ inboxes are full, and LinkedIn is just one more place to check, so I couldn’t always respond.
Q: What kind of LinkedIn messages got your attention?
A: Short, professional messages. Maybe 2–3 lines max. For example:
“Hi, I’m interested in this role and think I’m a great fit because of XYZ. I’ve also applied online. Hope we can connect!”
Q: What happens after someone sends their resume and you’re interested?
A: If I think they’re a good fit, I reach out for a phone screen. I want to get a sense of who they are and if they’d fit the team and company culture.
Q: How many resumes do you send to the hiring manager?
A: Out of a thousand resumes, I might phone screen 15, and send fewer than 10 to the hiring manager.
Q: How long do you spend on each resume when narrowing down to the top 15?
A: Most resumes get less than 30 seconds. Some even less if it’s immediately clear the candidate isn’t a fit.
Kelsi Taglang - Sr. Manager
With more than 25 years at some of the most recognizable companies in the world, Kelsi has experience hiring a variety of positions from Assistants to Artists to Managers and all points in between. She has reviewed literally tens of thousands of resumes to hire people trying to land their "Dream Jobs."