Sunlight is getting shorter and the days are cooler in Western New York, which must mean that we are approaching the Halloween season. Graveyards and haunted houses are not the only places where fear can consume a person. In offices and on MS Teams video calls all over the area, we will find terrified hiring managers all in an effort to fill an open position.
Why are these people so spooked? The actions of candidates have sent chills up their spine, causing them to reject candidates and question whether they will ever find the right person. Unless you’re named Michael Myers or Freddie Krueger, I think we can assume that you don’t wish to spook anyone during your job search. So, lets take a look at what behavior sends hiring managers hiding in the storage shed (you know…the one with the chainsaws and other sharp objects) and how you can avoid causing this type of terror.
• The Resume Wizard: Let’s start off with the beginning of the process – the resume. It seems more and more common for candidates to turn into wizards and magically enhance their experience, education, and accomplishments. It is near impossible for the resume wizard to pull a rabbit out of their hat during the interview. The hiring manager will see through your enhancements and move on from you. Please make sure that your documents accurately reflect who you are and what you have done.
• The Typographical Gremlin: Resumes should be written by the candidate, be accurate, and, perhaps most importantly, be free from any errors. Unfortunately, in this era of AI and cut/paste, the dreaded typographical error gremlin will often rear its ugly head wreaking havoc on the attention to detail of the candidate. You can control this gremlin by always making sure you thoroughly proofread your documents and have a family member or friend check your work.
• The Conversation Vampire: Hiring managers really do find interviews to be an important part of evaluating candidates. The dreaded conversation vampire sucks the life out of the conversation, leaving them to be rejected regardless of their strong qualifications. These speak endlessly about themselves, never answer any questions directly, and generally just give off a creepy vibe.
• The Interview Zombie: Opposite of the conversation vampire is the interview zombie. These are the people who don’t prepare for the conversation, never researched the company, and show zero enthusiasm for the role. They are just there in the interview taking up space until the hiring manager can figure out a way to end the discussion.
• The Ghost Candidate: Candidates who suddenly disappear will haunt a hiring manager for weeks/months. Especially, if the person has been responseful and excited throughout the process…until one day they’re gone. They stop answering their phone, don’t respond to calls/e-mail, etc. Be courteous and make sure you stay connected and communicative with the prospective employer. Even if this means you have to deliver bad news to them. The hiring manager still would rather hear this than have you go poof on them.
• The Follow-Up Monster: In this scary scenario, the candidate is super nice, respectful, and considerate right though finishing the final interview. Then something happens and their inner monster comes out, sending e-mail after e-mail and making one phone call after another. They get more aggravated with every passing hour of not having heard back from the hiring manager. What they may think is enthusiasm causes the hiring manager to become horrified from the sight of this person turning into Mr. Hyde.
Trying to avoid turning your candidacy into a house of horrors is actually quite easy. Rather than turning into some scary creature and spooking the hiring manager, transform into a model job seeker. You can do this by communicating well to all parties, always being prepared, being honest and truthful, and treating everyone with respect. If you do all of these, you may just find that your Halloween job search is the treat that you deserve!
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of WNYJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
