By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
From the Archives (2012) Horrible Things Job Seekers Do Note: I no longer work in recruiting. I’m a coach who helps people solve workplace problems – finding jobs, recruiting more effectively, managing and leading. Additionally, any jobs mentioned on the show were filled years ago. I don’t know if any advertisers are still in business.
Artificial Intelligence Jobs Apocalypse Warning
I’m Jeff Altman, the big game hunter, and in honor of Halloween, I’m doing my Bela Lugosi impersonation. I’m here to drink the blood from my neck. welcome.
On No BS Job Search Advice Radio, I like to give you very direct and direct advice because, unlike you, I hear what clients say about job seekers, and most of what I tell you is feedback I’ve gotten from employers, not just my own opinion. So, when I talk to you about mistakes you may have made during your job search, please understand that I’m just trying to help you not take it as criticism, but take it as the voice of someone who’s been living in the trenches with employers and job seekers alike, and who hears the mistakes that many of you are making, and I’m trying to address it because, frankly, in this economy, despite the news that you’ll be reading about things getting better soon, it’s a really tough world out there for a lot of you. For some people it’s much easier, but if you’ve been out of work for 6, 9, 12 months or more, it’s hard to find a job and you can’t waste any opportunity.
So today I want to talk to you about some of the horrible things, horrible things that you might do that are keeping you from getting interviews, that are keeping you from getting results, that are keeping you from getting the job that you really want. So, I’ve compiled a list of six of the scariest things job seekers often do that prevent them from getting a job or remaining unemployed. The first one is one of my biggest pet peeves and that is sending out generic resumes.
What do I mean by that? Sending the same resume over and over as if they were applying for the same job. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I see job listings, everyone is a little different. When I talk to a recruiter about a job, or when you talk to a recruiter about a job, I should say, when you hear a position, they’re all a little bit different.
Yet, most of you send the same resume over and over again. This is wrong. It’s like a broken watch that’s accurate twice a day, you can’t send out the same resume over and over again.
You have to make changes, you have to adjust them to make sure that what you’re sending to employers, what you’re sending to recruiters, shows that you’re a good fit for the position. So that’s the scariest thing, number one, most people I know do this. The second thing people do that hurts them is they don’t do any interview preparation.
So what does this preparation look like? Quite simply, do you take the time to review the job description? Will you take the time to review how to answer some of the foreseeable questions you’ll be asked in an interview? Have you taken the time to research the company and its profile? Most people don’t. They arrive at the interview ready to improvise. This is asking questions spontaneously and answering them without any preparation.
I don’t know about you, but actors, they rehearse, sports teams, they practice. Why aren’t you? With a little preparation, you can perform better because even in a few interviews you can already see patterns in the questions they ask. So why not rehearse your answer to the point where it doesn’t sound rehearsed? This is the third one.
Ten things to do when you’re having trouble finding a job
By the way, I only have five tips. I’m sorry. Here’s a tip, and the third terrible thing a lot of you will do.
You only use job boards. How stupid is that? According to statistics, job boards fill around 6% of all positions. That’s it.
Now, if you want to include recruiters who ostensibly hold 22% of all positions and say, well, they advertise on job boards, well, I agree. As a result, 28% of positions are filled by search committees and recruiters. What about the other 72%? So it would be foolish to purely focus on job sites, focus on recruiting people, rather than networking, reaching out to people, asking for advice, trying to connect with people who know you or are willing to help you.
This is a ridiculous mistake. That’s the fourth thing, it’s a personal thing. I want to admit this.
This is personal. I know employers sometimes complain about this, but it’s a personal complaint for me. It’s 9 a.m. on a Monday morning and the 915, 930 calls are coming in, hey, what’s going on? This is a waste of time.
Nothing happened then. You know it and I know it too. I know the strategy is to get yourself into people’s heads, but all you do is annoy them.
They are trying to connect with their colleagues. They are trying to start their day. For myself, on a typical Monday morning, I know I log in a lot over the weekend, but on Monday morning, I get over 100 emails.
I have to respond to some of them. I have a crisis to deal with. I do my radio show.
So it was an interruption to call me early in the morning and say, hey, what’s going on. And you won’t contact me. You can’t reach most recruiters, whether they’re third-party recruiters or corporate recruiters, because they’re just trying to fit in with their day.
So don’t waste time. Wait until later because you can have more positive effects that way. This was the terrible mistake the fourth person made.
Finally, again, this is my personal opinion, but it’s also what I’ve heard from others. The idea is that many job seekers are very unkind to recruiters or other people they meet during their job search. Let me give you an example.
A 10-step guide to career transition
For six years I took the bus to New York and was online the entire time I was working, and sometimes I made spelling mistakes. You’ll have to read some of the misspelled emails sent to me. Now, I don’t know about you, but my commute time aside, I sometimes make mistakes.
I suspect the same is true for you. Do you really want to be torn apart by a new asshole for making a mistake? I’m not talking about, you know, I do this all the time. This is a rare thing.
Every once in a while, something goes wrong. I’m very anxious. I do many things at the same time.
An error occurred. Is this how you want your manager to treat you? I don’t think so. Why do you think I would want to be treated that way? Why do you think recruiters would want to be treated this way? Then you expect us to help you.
So, I have to pause and point out how ridiculous this behavior is and why it can hurt you. Because whether you like my job or not, whether you like this particular recruiter’s job or not, they do have access to other opportunities. I absolutely love a polite email that says: Jeff, you’ve made a mistake here.
Let me bring this to your attention. This way, you can fix the article before sending it to others. I thank those people.
Often, I’ll send them a copy of my book as a way of saying thank you. I think this is helpful. I don’t think being scolded helps.
So here are five horrifying, cruel things people do when they’re looking for a job and finding a position. OK? So, now I’m going to give up on the Bela Lugosi knockoff. Let’s talk about some of the jobs I’ve been recruiting for across the United States.
Decide
About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
People hire “Big Game Hunter” Jeff Altman to provide no-nonsense job coaching and career advice around the world because he makes your job search and career success easier.
You can find useful information and job search guidance to help you find a job at Job Hunting.Community
Expert advice for senior leaders in transformation
Connected LinkedIn
Schedule a discovery call to discuss one-on-one or group coaching with me during your job search: www.TheBigGameHunter.us.
15 questions to prepare for your next C-level interview
We allow this and other articles to be used on your site as long as they include a backlink www.TheBigGameHunter.us and states that it is provided by Jeff Altman of The Big Game Hunter as the author or creator. Does not acknowledge his work or provide backlinks www.TheBigGameHunter.us Subjects you to a $1,000 fine, which you voluntarily agree to pay. Please contact us to discuss using our content as training data.
