Recently, I had coffee again with Suzette, my friend, the hiring manager. I asked her if she had any more hiring horror stories to entertain me and she certainly did. Here are a few:
1. I won’t take no for an answer! This lady was told when she first submitted her resume that she would not be hired. She was given a very specific reason that I won’t reveal here. Well, the lady called again. Then again Then again Each time Suzette repeated the reason why she said she didn’t. This did not stop her. Every time she called, she would give them another sales pitch about how great of hers she was and that they would never regret hiring her. Suzette said that each additional call was like another nail in the coffin of her job prospects at that company. Needless to say, she was never hired.
2. How to guarantee unemployment: In the interview, this lady was immediately very assertive. The first question she asked Suzette was, “How long did you work here before you got a raise?” So she asked, and I swear I’m not making this up, “What do I have to do to get your job?” Perplexingly, Suzette did not hire her. Hmm. I wonder why?
3. Learn to spell! Suzette’s pet peeve was the endless stream of poorly written, poorly formatted, and generally substandard résumés. Granted, there are all sorts of extremely smart and talented people out there who can’t spell, but surely it’s not too much of a problem to have someone else do the resume for you, a friend or resume writer, or at least, use proofreading! orthographic! And try to avoid the following: “Excellent communication skills, verbal and written.”
4. Please stop talking! Another hiring manager described an interview that was going very well. The candidate seemed perfect for the job, but…he just wouldn’t shut up. He talked and talked, barely listening, so eager was he to show everyone how smart he was and right for the job. Basically, he talked his way out of work.
These horror stories are not only entertaining (although I admit, I enjoy listening to them), they are also good examples of what not to do. So after hearing this, our conclusions?
A. It’s good and often necessary to be persistent in your job search, but sometimes you have to take no for an answer or risk coming across as annoying and pushy, or even harassing.
b. It’s good to show interest in the hiring manager, but don’t ask questions that are too personal or inappropriate. It goes without saying that you do NO You want to give the impression that you want to take the hiring manager’s job at the first opportunity you get.
vs Resumes should be as perfect, in terms of spelling, grammar, and formatting, as you can make them. If this isn’t your field, ask someone to do it for you, whether it’s a friend, relative, or professional resume writer.
d. Don’t dominate the interview by talking non-stop, which can be hard to do when you’re nervous and excited. Strive to listen as much as you talk. Remember, these people are not going to hire someone they perceive as a braggart.
Compared to these people, your interview skills will seem spectacular! So go out and interview.