As a job seeker, you've probably wondered what goes on in the minds of Human Resources (HR) people—the gatekeepers who determine whether your resume and cover letter make it to the hiring manager. Sometimes, eavesdropping is the best way to get the truth, and it's something you can do while you search for a job. To get an insider's view of what it's like on the other side of the fence, read what HR people and recruiters are saying online.

Here are a couple examples of the kinds of things you might learn:

"Your resume is in our system with 5,000 other resumes. If you want to differentiate yourself, don’t just submit a resume into a career website and expect to be called. People get hired through career websites, yes, but they get hired through a whole host of mechanisms including employee referrals. Go find someone at my company to help you make your case."   — Laurie Ruettimann, Punk Rock HR

"...when you’re changing careers, industries, or starting a business, you know what you need? Contacts. And how do you make those contacts? Dare I say it? Shhhh, (whispering) networking. And you’ll need to take your networking in another direction. Stop looking for help from people who do what you used to do, and start looking at people who do what you want to do." — Suzanne Lucas , Evil HR Lady

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