The ball pops out of the shortstop’s glove, even though it went straight at him. “Oh, he bobbled it,” the sportscaster calls. It’s not a career-ender, but it may get the runner on, and maybe that runner will score. In the end, the bobble may be costly. Job search bobbles are small and may fall under the radar. But, they can be costly, so try to avoid them.
The ball pops out of the shortstop’s glove, even though it went straight at him. “Oh, he bobbled it,” the sportscaster calls. It’s not a career-ender, but it may get the runner on, and maybe that runner will score. In the end, the bobble may be costly. Job search bobbles are small and may fall under the radar. But, they can be costly, so try to avoid them:
Presentation counts. Mickey Mouse dress socks peek from under a candidate’s slacks as he sits down. The candidate doesn’t get the job, as the employer interprets his choice of socks as a lapse in professional judgment. (True story, and this happened at the meeting when our client was going to make this candidate an offer!)
Timing is everything. Get to your interview fifteen minutes early. There may be forms to fill out. There may be security hurdles to clear in the lobby reception. There may be a slow elevator. All three apply to just one employer for whom I recruited.
Choose your words wisely. Your word processing program only catches words that are completely misspelled. It won’t catch words that are out-of-context. If a salesperson does “meat” clients, perhaps she should be a butcher. Even the most vulgar trader probably doesn’t work in “pubic” finance. There may be a “Colombia” University in Bogota, but not in New York.
In short, be conservative. Dress in proper business attire. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. Proofread all of your correspondence. Bobbles are only funny on the highlight reel.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
Why Conventional Wisdom On Work Flexibility Is Always Wrong
In a previous post, I wrote about why employment statistics are always wrong. In a similar way, conventional wisdom on work flexibility is always wrong. It is impossible to generalize something that is inherently case-by-individual case. Therefore, any boilerplate advice or conventional wisdom is bound to omit a key consideration, underweight or overemphasize other considerations, or take too long-term or short-term of a view.
