We are always focused on how to land a job that we will read any book or blog on it, but what about how not to get a job? What I mean by this is that we focus so much on how to do the right things, but never an emphasis on how to avoid the bad things. Being a corporate recruiter for many years, I had a laundry list of things that job seekers did to annoy me. I want to discuss a few of them now so you can avoid them and not make the same mistakes that many other job seekers make every day in their job search.
How Not To Get A Job
- Applying To Every Job: When job seekers find a company they really like they will begin to apply to every job that is available. Why? It is because they want to grab the attention of the recruiter. Kind of like, “Hey, look me at me! Over here!” Unfortunately, this is the kiss of death. Let’s look at it from the other perspective. You are the recruiter and you see John Doe apply to 12 jobs within your company. What is your first thought going to be? Easy… John Doe has no clue what he wants to do. So… why are you making the recruiter figure out what job you are appropriate for? Recruiters do no have time in today’s high volume, high paced environment. What they do then is simply go to the next resume. An easy way on how not to get a job.
- Call/E-Mail Every Day: This, quite possibly, could be the most annoying to any recruiter. Every one knows that you are eager and excited to hear back, but let’s put this in perspective. This would be equivalent to a telemarketer calling you every day and asking you to buy their product. What do you do in those instances? I would be willing to bet you just hang up the phone. The difference here is that the recruiter can either let it go to voice mail or will politely tell you to stop calling and/or e-mailing because they have to remain professional. While it is very important to follow up, please be sure to do sure appropriately. This is why we recommend that when an interview is over you ask when the best day/time to follow up is. This is your only chance to follow up and not be annoying. Of course, there are other techniques in which you can still follow up, but this one time will be expected by the recruiter. However, another great way on how not to get a job!
- Stopping Your Job Search While You Wait For A Response: This goes to the old analogy of “putting all of your eggs into one basket”; it’s just not a smart decision, yet it happens so often. Just because you had a fantastic interview does not mean you will be getting the job. This is an easy way to extend your job search. You have to constantly be on the move and thinking about your next step. Don’t wait around for things to happen to you; instead make decisions in which force things to happen to you. How not to get a job? Apply to just one job and wait…
- Forgetting Where You’ve Applied And Interviewed: This one might take the cake for most annoying…maybe. As a recruiter nothing is more frustrating when you call a potential candidate and ask, “What attracted you to apply to this job?” The response, “Um, well it fits in line with my background and um, well, it’s a great opportunity for me”. You might be laughing now, but unfortunately that happens so often. There is an easy fix for this, whenever you apply to jobs, track it in excel. This way you know every job you’ve applied to and when. Then when asked that question, you know the appropriate answer! How Not To Get a Job? Forget where you applied too!
