10 Ways to Make Sure You WON’T Get the Job
December 16, 2009 by sparktalk
By J.T. O’Donnell
The following are 10 true stories.
These have all happened to me or my colleagues over the years as hiring managers. I know the job search process can be hard to maneuver. Add to that the fact there’s a whole set of ‘new rules’ you need to follow to get employers to even want to hire you and a job seeker can feel pretty overwhelmed.
But that being said…
Some things are just common sense. For example, I wouldn’t suggest doing any of these:
1 ) UNDER-DRESSED: Candidate came to the interview for a professional job in a suit and dress shoes – but with no shoelaces or socks. AND THEN, proceeded to sit with his leg across his knee, tapping his foot, drawing attention to his lack of proper attire.
2 ) OVERLY-HONEST: When asked what the person’s greatest weakness was, she replied, “I hate getting up early and tend to be late to work a lot.”
3 ) GREEDY: When I asked if the candidate had any questions, he said, “Ya. How long will it take until I get a raise?”
4 ) TEAMWORK CHALLENGED: When I asked for references, the candidate said, “You can’t call anyone from my old company because I hate them all and they probably wouldn’t say nice things about me.”
5 ) IGNORANT OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERSONA: When I called to schedule an interview, the recorded message was playing ‘Funky Cold Medina’ and had people making noises in the background. (Do I need to explain more?)
6 ) UNMOTIVATED: When I e-mailed the candidate about scheduling an interview, she e-mailed back, “Now’s not a good time for me, can I call you in 2 weeks?”
7 ) IMPATIENT: After the interview, the candidate called and left me 5 voice mail messages and sent me an e-mail everyday saying he was just ‘checking in’ to see if I’d made a decision. He did this in spite of the fact I told him, “don’t call us, we’ll call you.”
8 ) INSINCERE: After the interview, I contacted a person in our company who the candidate said would be a reference for her. The employee said, “I should tell you she doesn’t really want the job and is planning to quit if she gets accepted to grad school.”
9 ) UNPREPARED: When I asked the candidate what he liked studying the most as a Finance major he said, “I liked the financial stuff.”
10 ) DESPERATE: When I asked why she wanted the job, she said, “Because nobody else will hire me.”
Hiring managers, now tell me your stories…
What kinds of things have happened to you? What insights can you share in this post to help job seekers avoid making costly mistkes? Give the gift of advice this season – tell our readers what WON’T get them the job below.
J.T. O’Donnell is a nationally syndicated career expert and the founder of CAREEREALISM.com. Her program, CAREEREALISM University, teaches job seekers the ‘new rules’ to job search and career development – because college teaches you everything EXCEPT how to get the job. Try it free for 7 days and see how it can help you get a professional edge.
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