looking for a job? desperation is still a turn-off

you may have heard recently about the guy in new york who stood on the street in his suit handing out resumes to anyone who would walk by.  but that's not all he did.  he also wore a sandwich sign asking people to hire him.  now, while i applaud his creativity, there is a problem there.  see?  the sandwich sign hearkens back to images of the depression.  it sends a signal of....you said it....desperation. 

when interviewed on t.v., this guy had great qualifications.  the problem?  he had determined that he had one more week until he had to leave new york and look elsewhere.  he was broke.  and he'd already sent his family to live with other family, depriving him of his support system during his search.  the truth?  he was desperate!  the problem?  as he spoke and stood on the corner with his sandwich sign, the desperation oozed from every pore.  

i've said it before and i'll say it again.  looking for a job is a lot like dating.  seriously.  and who wants to go out with someone who seems desperate?  

inspired by the interview i saw recently with this gentleman, i give you a reminder via an old post of mine:

you're looking for a job. you've consulting with an outplacement professional for help on your resume. you've contacted everyone you know to let them know you're looking. you've combed every ad from monster to sixladders to your local paper. you've sent out tons of resumes. you've read every book on how to land an interview, how to ace the interview, how to negotiate your salary, and how to land the job. and in that moment, you aren't getting much response and you do the unthinkable. you get desperate.

what next? what do you do now?

well for some people, it seems the answer to that question is start playing the numbers game. you know, that old sales trick of just throwing a bunch of stuff out there and seeing what sticks. you start sending resumes for jobs you aren't even remotely qualified for. (note: it's absolutely appropriate to send a blind resume to a company when you see they're hiring. but don't mention the ad for the wrong job for you at all. and definitely don't apply online for that job when your skills are something completely different.)

then, you apply to my job posting online. i get your resume.
and then, you hunt down my actual email address. and i get your resume again.
then, i get your resume through the online application site again.
and then you email it to me again.
and now i'm wondering, "what is up with this guy?"

and then you call. and you tell me you weren't sure your resume went through. on my voice mail. and then you call again. and you tell me personally that you aren't sure it went through. and i tell you that we did, indeed, receive your resume. and i tell you that i appreciate your enthusiastic interest in our company. and i tell you that we'll be reviewing resumes along with the hiring manager, and we'd probably begin calling people in for interviews in about two weeks. (phone interviews will happen before that though.)

because, you see, i'm not a recruiter. i'm in HR. and i have a major year-long training program wrapping up and i have to develop the final piece for that. and we're right in the middle of negotiating contract renewals for our employee benefits, and we're making changes. and that all has to be completed in two weeks. (yikes!) and i have employee issues to deal with and another position to hire for and.....you get the idea.

so, two days later, you email your resume again.
and i respond and thank you again and assure you that we really do have your resume and really will take a look at it. what i'm really saying is, "would you stop already?"

and two days later, you leave a voice mail again. "no need to return my call, but i just wanted to check in and let you know i'm still available."

suddenly, i'm beginning to feel like i'm being stalked by someone i just broke up with. you know, the incessant phone calls and emails. the slight pleading tone that belies the confidence you're trying to feign. and i'm getting a sneaking suspicion that if we let you in the door, we will never be rid of you. ever. i'm also getting a sneaking feeling that hiring you would be hiring someone high maintenance.

but, ever the trooper, you call me again. and this time, when i tell you that our timeframe is still the same and it will probably be late next week....you tell me, "well, i just hate to pass on another job offer and miss out on an opportunity like this."

what?
we haven't even asked you to interview yet.
why would you pass up on a job offer when we don't even know you, and you don't know us, yet? is this the stalker equivalent of proposing on a first date?

here's the thing. the interview process is grueling. and we know that. and we try to be as kind as possible. and i appreciate a good candidate we've been working with letting me know where they are with other interviews with other companies. if (and this is a big if) we're at that point. if we've had dialogue. if we've been talking. because i will promise you that i will communicate with you and be honest with you about your qualifications, where we are in the process, what expected timelines are, i will tell you everything i possibly can.

if it's a natural extension of the conversation, let's talk about other interviews you have going on. in fact, i might even ask what other options you have going on out there when it becomes appropriate. keeping me informed *after* we've expressed some interest in you and you in us, is great!

but if you use this technique as a way to rush me or my hiring manager into making a decision, i'm probably going to call your bluff. and if you try to use this technique before we've even asked to interview you? well now i have several red flags of concern raised when it comes to bringing you in.

knowing how and when to negotiate, knowing where that fine line is, is very important when it comes to looking for a job. especially if you're looking for a job in sales.
;-)

all the best!
deb

Comments

[Rich Milgram]

Many professionals think that desperate times call for desperate measures, however when trying to find your next job, the exact opposite is true. To be successful in their job search, candidates will need to take every avenue of opportunity to sell themselves as a valuable, dedicated professional, and most importantly do not show their desperation to employers. Here is a helpful blog post on how to be the standout candidate: http://www.employmentmetrix.com/blog/2008/07/be-the-standout.html#more

[Stacy Gentile]

And how much of all of that calling do you think could have been avoided if HR professionals were...lets say...more professional? Just a couple things come to mind here. 1) Maybe reading a resume for more than keywords 2) Giving quick no's to unqualified candidates 3) maybe letting all candidates know the timeline of your decision makeing process and sharing that process with them 4) maybe having an automated "we received your resume...here is our process" 4) Well...I could keep going. Look...here is my point. Seems to me that one would think that HR would be the MOST professional department in any organization, however job seekers continually report the opposite...I find this very perplexing. Is HR busy...SURE, but what department isn't. I know a lot of job seekers and i hear their frustration every time they fill out an entire online application which sometimes takes upwards of an hour and they DONT hear anything back...thats got to be extremely frustrating considering they probably experienced this 50 times in a ROW. I think many HR folks go into HR because they like "PEOPLE" so why is it then that they are out there, in many cases, treating "people" so poorly?

[deb]

@rich - thanks for the additional tips.

@stacy - (full disclosure here: stacy and i do know each other IRL)

whoa, stacy. i do tend to agree with you on some points about HR. and it's well documented here how happy i am to be out of it.

however, let me say:

first, the application i was referring to was an online application that simply required the gentleman to push the "apply now" button. and there was, indeed, an automated response sent upon receipt of his resume. (which, apparently, wasn't good enough for him.)

on his first call, he asked that i return the call if the resume did NOT go through. it did.

and then, as i mentioned, i actually spoke with this guy on several occasions. he WAS given a timeline. he chose to ignore that timeline, seeming to think that he was in a position to determine how quickly things should move. in fact, i even took the time to reiterate what the timeline was for us, which is when he pulled the good ol' "hate to pass up another opportunity" line.

the guy came across as arrogant and unwilling to listen, which hurt his chances in the long run.

he was qualified. however, he was not as qualified as several other candidates. and we did still notify him when we'd decided not to call him in for an interview.

and here is my experience with many people who complain about the "gatekeepers". i confess that i find there to be plenty of HR people out there who don't get it. i confess that scanning the resume for keywords isn't always the best way to go (but knowing that's what happens and how it works, it's up to the candidate to write a cover letter and resume in a way that makes their qualifications clear.)

however, having been on the flip side?

often, the people ranting the loudest and the longest about how awful they are treated by HR?
they aren't the strong candidates they believe themselves to be. often, as i have spoken with these people, they believe themselves to be qualified for positions much higher than they are actually qualified for.

and often? those people who aren't as qualified as they believe they are, and who rant and rave about "the gatekeepers"? those people also come off arrogant and rude. they come across as "know-it-alls" and people who would be difficult to work with. and those are qualities that no HR department will ever recommend to a hiring manager.

and yes. many people get into HR because they like people. i think going into HR is a cure for liking people.
;-)

all the best!
deb

[Ask a Manager]

This is such a great post. I've had those desperate candidates too, and it always raises red flags -- about their judgment, about their ability to make wise and reasoned decisions, about their ability to hear and respond to cues.