Do You Give Employers Reasons to Not Like You?

There are some people I immediately do not like, even though I have never met them.

Here’s why:

 

• They call me on the phone and butcher the pronunciation of my name.

 

• They send me mail and either misspell my name, address the envelope to “Resident,” and/or the begin the letter with ”To Whom It May Concern.”

 

• They call first thing Monday morning when I am trying to organize my task list for the week or at the end of the day on Friday when I am eager to go home.

 

• They send me email without a subject line, a greeting or a signature.

 

• They fax their resume to my office with no cover page or explanation as to why they are faxing it.

 

• They return incomplete forms and applications which I have previously sent to them with a request to complete all the information.

 

• They call me and launch into a sales pitch without asking if I have some time to talk.

 

• They make appointments and do not show up and then call later with no apologies and ask to reschedule.

 

• They immediately start sharing all the personal (and sometimes sordid) details of their troubled life after I ask why they are looking for employment.

 

• They send me email messages that are rife with spelling and/or grammatical errors or are typed in all caps or all lowercase letters.

 

• They attempt to entertain me with an answering machine message that is set to music, fails to identify who I have reached, and/or cuts off before I can leave a 10 second message.     

 

I am not a mean old ogre – it’s just that I have certain expectations when it comes to professional relationships. If were a hiring manager and any of these people were to contact me regarding opportunities with my company, I am pretty confident that I would not invite any of them in for an interview.

 

You see, in spite of all your education, skills, and experiences, when it comes right down to it, employers hire people they like. If you are not getting the interviews you think you deserve, decide what would make you dislike people you have never met – and see if there is something you need to change.

Comments

[shy]

Speaking of being "rife with spelling and/or grammatical errors"; this article certainly has a couple of its own (i.e. "If were a hiring manager"). I understand how annoying others idiosyncrasies can be but I would remember that I have a few imperfections of my own. Now, having said that, I believe that it is (for lack a better word) stupid to not hire someone on the most of the reasons above. If I were a hiring manager I would be looking to hire my employees on merit and body of work. I am certainly going to hire the best contractor to renovate my home on quality of work and reputation, not because won a spelling bee.

[D Whitmore]

Some of the reasons above are basic gripes for all of us - some of them are a bit unfair. I immediately switch-off when I receive a forceful sales pitch over the phone, without introduction or consent - but "they call me on the phone and butcher the pronunciation of my name." shouldn't be a reason to disregard someone - unless your surname is smith.

I especially dislike receiving contact that contains spelling mistakes, as it displays a lack of care and effort, when all email packages contain spell checks..!

Dan

[Louisa]

I work for a staffing company in Boston, Hollister Staffing (www.hollisterstaff.com) and agree it is important to keep in mind qualities that a potential employer might not like. We spend a lot of time educating out candidates about bad habits to break, and also how to be aware of making the right (or wrong) impression. Thank you for your post, I plan on sharing it with some of my candidates.
Louisa