Credit @ work.

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Dear Andy,

As the hiring manager for a growing credit department, I always have a stack of resumes to review. Do you have any tips for winnowing the number down and pinpointing the best candidates to interview?

It can be difficult for hiring managers and recruiters to get beyond the veneer of a polished resume and gain a real sense of a candidate's qualifications. But even if resumes and cover letters don't have obvious problems that call for automatic elimination, they may contain more subtle signs that suggest whether or not you should pass on a candidate. Here's what to watch out for:

Lack of career progression. Be wary of candidates who have had a series of lateral positions with no apparent increase in responsibilities or other readily understandable reason for changing employers. This is especially true when job hopping has been frequent. A static job pattern may be a sign of someone who lacks ambition or for some reason has not been deemed worthy of promotion to the next level

Generic job descriptions. Like most credit managers, you're undoubtedly looking to hire candidates with initiative and drive, not seat fillers. Therefore, steer away from job seekers who offer only general summaries of their previous job duties with no quantifiable results or accomplishments attached. If candidates can't make a compelling case for their past ...