Say What?
Survey Reveals Job Search Blunders
A staffing service recently asked office professionals to recount the biggest job search blunders they had heard of or witnessed firsthand. The most frequent responses related to over- or underselling skills during interviews or on resumes, not researching the company, complaining about former employers and treating clerical staff poorly. But the most outrageous response? Try some of these:
A staffing service recently asked office professionals to recount the biggest job search blunders they had heard of or witnessed firsthand. The most frequent responses related to over- or underselling skills during interviews or on resumes, not researching the company, complaining about former employers and treating clerical staff poorly. But the most outrageous response? Try some of these:
- “Someone interviewed for a position and was not given the job. But he showed up anyway, saying, ‘Here I am!’”
- “Someone tried to bribe me during the interview. She really wanted the job and asked how much she could pay me for it.”
- “An applicant came in with his recruiter and had the recruiter answer the questions.”
- “A job seeker didn’t hang up the phone after calling about a job. I overheard everything he said, and it wasn’t good.”
- “One gentleman submitted a resume that contained misspelled words and an orange juice stain.”
- “I interviewed someone who had a jawbreaker in her mouth during the entire interview.”
- “When asked what he had been doing while unemployed, the applicant said, ‘Staying home and watching TV.’”
- “I interviewed a person who was only interested in the benefits and salary, and not the details and responsibilities of the job. He had a ‘What’s in it for me?’ attitude.”
- “One woman immediately described her faults to the interviewer and mentioned days she would need to take off.”
- “Applicants have shown up in torn shirts, blue jeans and flip flops.”
- “During an interview, when asked what his greatest faults were, an applicant gave too many answers. He kept going and going and going.”
- “A job seeker wrote on her application, ‘My boss was a jerk so I quit.’”
“Job seekers are being evaluated from the moment they submit a resume,” says Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. “It’s critical that applicants behave professionally and treat everyone they encounter, from the receptionist to the person they bump into in the elevator, as someone who may weigh in on the hiring decision.”
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 508 individuals 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments.
Poor communication etiquette was a mistake cited often by survey respondents, including applicants following up too frequently, failing to return calls or show interest in the job, and talking too much or too little during the interview.
Behavior that also left a bad impression included job seekers who admitted they were only interested in the money, failed to research the company or learn the interviewer’s name, or were discourteous to the office receptionist when calling or visiting a prospective employer.
“Hindsight is 20/20,” says Domeyer. “Learning from these examples will help professionals sidestep mistakes that can cost them a job offer.”
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