YES, YOUR ATTITUDE AFFECTS YOUR JOB SEARCH…
We hear about many instances of recruiters not following up and expecting the candidates to wait and wonder if they are still in the running. They question what they are doing wrong. On the other hand, many candidates can behave like flakes, too. Read about my experience of what a negative attitude can do to a job search.
A CANDIDATE ASKED WHY HER INTERVIEWS WERE FAILING…
Over the holidays, I placed a call to a “professional” that was in the career seeking mode. She asked me if I would contact her over the holidays for a discussion on career coaching. I called her during my vacation time to accommodate her request.
It took 5 seconds.
When she answered my call, it was clear that she forgot about our meeting and was doing me a “favor” to give me her time on the phone. Her interviews were failing and her intent in working with a coach was to determine how to solve that problem.
An angry attitude will kill a networking opportunity and interview!
During the discussion on how career coaching may help her, the call “disconnected”. Suspecting it was a bad connection, I immediately called her back but there was no answer, so left a voice mail and email. She may not know that her unprofessional attitude showed up within a few seconds of the call.
She caused her interviews to fail.
I’ve always been an advocate of the candidates that want to stand out and be noticed for the talent and professionals they are. Many times, candidates go unnoticed by a broken recruiting system during the initial application phase. If they go through the interview process with a promise of hearing back from the recruiter in a few days, there are many cases when that follow-up does not happen.
In my experience, the job seeker’s angry attitude and unprofessional behavior was an example of what candidates may be displaying to recruiters. They may be dishing it out too.
Candidates must display a stellar attitude to compete.
Candidates that maintain their course of follow-up and professionalism will get better results because:
- It sets them apart from the flakes that are competing for the same positions
- They eliminate the employers with a culture that allows for flakey recruiting practices.
Prepare to stay focused on your career search outcomes, generate a lot of activity and maintain a professional posture regardless of the negative behaviors of others.
You’ll be the winner with more referrals from professional relationships, and land the right job within the right company!
