Career Growth Tips from Recruiters (and Mistakes to Avoid in 2026)
I’ve worked in career and recruiting long enough to know that people don’t grow in a straight line. Not in their jobs, not in their confidence, not in their timing. And honestly, most of the biggest jumps I’ve seen in someone’s career came from the smallest shifts — the kind you only notice when you’re […]
Why Job Seekers Miss Opportunities Without a Recruiting Team Behind Them
I’ve been in the recruiting world long enough to see a pattern, and it hits harder than people realize: most job seekers miss out on great opportunities simply because they don’t have someone in their corner pushing, guiding, and translating their value when it matters. And honestly, I don’t blame them. Finding a job today […]
Why Recruiters Boost Your Chances of Getting Hired (and What Hurts Them)
I’ve worked with recruiters long enough to know this: people think they understand how the job search works… until they’re deep in it and everything feels harder than it should. And honestly, I’ve been there too — running teams, juggling hires, trying to make decisions fast but also “right,” whatever that means at the time. […]
Why Companies Use Recruiters — and What Happens When They Don’t
I’ve been in enough hiring conversations to know this: most companies think they can handle recruiting on their own… right up until the moment they realize they can’t.And it usually hits at the worst possible time — busy season, someone quits, a new office opens, a manager goes on leave, whatever. Suddenly hiring becomes this […]
The Human Element: Why Connection Still Beats Automation in Hiring
I get it — automation is everywhere right now.Every week, I see another new “AI-powered hiring platform” that promises to make recruiting effortless. Faster screening, smarter matching, automated outreach. And sure, some of it helps. I’m not anti-tech. We use plenty of tools at AKA Search Group — CRMs, AI summaries, scheduling systems, data enrichment. […]
The Art of the Follow-Up: How to Stay Top of Mind After Interviews
You’d be surprised how many great candidates disappear after an interview — not because they bombed it, but because they went silent when it mattered most. I’ve seen it from both sides. I’ve had candidates crush an interview, impress everyone, and then… vanish. No follow-up, no thank-you note, no quick check-in. And on the flip […]
From Job Search to Career Growth: Steps to a Meaningful Move
During a call with a candidate last week, they said something that really made me think. “I don’t just want a new job,” she said. “I want the right move.” That’s the moment it clicked — there’s a big difference between job searching and making an intentional career move. Most people don’t realize that until […]
Why Top Employers Don’t Always Post Their Best Jobs Online
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this one:“Why do I never see the good jobs online?” It usually comes from a frustrated candidate who’s been grinding through job boards for weeks. They’ve sent out 50 applications, maybe got one automated response, and they’re starting to wonder if the whole system’s broken. And […]
Stop Losing Talent: Recruiters, Keep Candidates Engaged
You ever have that one candidate who seemed perfect — nailed every interview, said all the right things, seemed genuinely excited — and then suddenly… they ghost? I’ve run into that more times than I’d like to admit. One week they’re replying fast, asking thoughtful questions, and you’re thinking, this is a done deal. Then […]
Outdated Hiring Practices That Drive Away Candidates
You ever look back at how you used to hire and just cringe a little? Yeah, same. I’ve been doing this a while, and I’ll admit — we used to think our process was solid. Structured, “thorough,” professional. It wasn’t. It was slow, outdated, and honestly, kinda painful. We didn’t realize it because back then, […]
