Jeff Gillis is the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of The Interview Guys, the career-advice site he and Mike Simpson launched in 2013. Over the last 13 years, Jeff has been the strategic mind behind how the site connects with job seekers, helping reach more than 100 million people worldwide through content, tools, and product development.
His background is in IT and digital strategy, which shapes how he approaches the modern job search: ATS systems, resume optimization, the mechanics of how recruiters and platforms actually filter candidates, and the tactics that work when applying through online portals. Jeff has published more than 50 in-depth career resources including case studies, comprehensive guides, and video courses, and his work has appeared in INC, MSN, and ZDNet.
Articles credited to Jeff on The Interview Guys are reviewed and edited by him personally, with a focus on resume strategy, job-search tactics, and how to actually get past the digital gatekeepers most candidates struggle with.
Here is the thing a hiring manager actually feels when a stack of SDR resumes lands on the desk: most of them look identical, and almost none of them prove the candidate understands what the job really is. That is the bar this certificate is trying to clear for you. I should be upfront that…
When a hiring manager opens a stack of resumes for a Sales Operations Specialist role, they are scanning for one thing first: can this person actually use Salesforce without three months of hand-holding. Most applicants can’t prove it. The Salesforce Sales Operations Professional Certificate exists to close that exact gap, and third-party reviewers peg its…
Here is what runs through a hiring manager’s head when a data architect role lands on their desk: they need someone who can design the whole system, not just query it. Most applicants can write SQL. Almost none can sketch how data should flow from a dozen messy sources into a governed, compliant warehouse the…
Here’s what runs through a hiring manager’s head when a junior UX application lands on their desk: can this person actually do the work, or did they just watch some videos? Most beginner candidates fail that test because they show a certificate and nothing else. The IBM UI/UX Designer Professional Certificate is built to answer…
When a hiring manager opens your application for an AI Engineer role, they’re scanning for one thing fast: can this person actually build, or do they just know the buzzwords? A line that says you completed the IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate answers part of that question, especially when it’s backed by a verifiable badge…
Here’s the stat that should reorganize how you think about networking: referred candidates make up only about 7% of applicants but generate roughly 40% of all hires, while cold online applications convert to an offer at a rate of just 0.1% to 2%, according to HiringThing’s 2025 job application data. For decades, the standard advice…
When a hiring manager opens 200 applications for one junior UX role, they are not reading every word. They are scanning for a portfolio link, a recognizable credential, and proof you can actually run a design process from research to prototype. A blank resume with a nice cover letter does not survive that scan. That…
Here’s a number that should reframe how you think about stacking gigs: 67% of side hustlers say their additional work leads to burnout, and 52% say that burnout is only worth it if they clear more than $500 a week. That’s per SurveyMonkey’s 2026 side hustle roundup. The whole pitch of the portfolio career is…
Here’s what runs through a hiring manager’s head when a junior mobile dev resume hits the stack: can this person actually ship an app, or do they just have a list of buzzwords? Most entry-level candidates fail that test because they’ve watched tutorials but never built and deployed anything real. That’s the gap this IBM…
Only 24% of candidates send a thank-you note after an interview, even though 80% of HR managers say those notes are helpful when they reach a final decision, per an HR survey cited by Zety. That’s a wild gap. A free, five-minute move that most hiring managers appreciate, and three out of four people skip…
