Each morning, I read the updates and "Influencer Posts" on LinkedIn. I find at least one interesting mini-article or blog post each day about various topics: interviewing skills, networking best practices, entrepreneurship, etc. However, one topic entertains me the most: epic failures in job search. Well-meaning job seekers sabotaging their own cause with bad practices, bad decisions, and ineffective communication styles.
We've all had mediocre or bad interviews because the interviewer was not effective. I once had a job interview that lasted for over an hour but the interviewer only asked me one question: what ventilators could I use? Like any self-respecting respiratory therapist, I was insulted at the insinuation that I would be limited in my ability to work with any ventilator they could throw at me. Thankfully, a better opportunity presented itself and I did not feel pressured to take that job (amazingly...they did send an offer!).
On the flip side, how many times have we unintentionally wrecked our own job hunt with bad decisions? We may have done so without even realizing it! So, instead of writing about good practices, I decided to find a few bad practices in interviewing and hunting for a job.
- Badmouthing your former (or current) employer/teacher/clinical site. Let's face it...respiratory therapy is a small world. Chances are, we all know the other respiratory therapists in our community or even the entire state. Also, the people to whom you are telling these bad things may be a good friend or colleague of the person(s) you're trashing. No good comes from listing the faults of others...and it sets a bad precedent for your potential interactions with the potential employer and respiratory therapy team.
- Name-dropping in the interview. Do you know someone who works there? GREAT! Ask that person to put in a good word for you. In the interview, however, excessive name dropping can feel like an attack or, if your acquaintance is in a position of power, it could feel like a threat. You want the interviewer to like you, not be wary of you.
- Giving the support staff a hard time. Remember that the interview begins the moment you arrive at the facility. If you give the security guard, information desk staff, or department support staff a hard time, they are likely to mention that to the persons who decide whom to hire.
- Talk on the phone or text during the interview. It sounds like a no-brainer but it does happen. The interviewer has several interviews for your one position and while you want to stand out, you don't want to stand out for this faux pas. If you really don't want that job, go right ahead and take that URGENT call from your buddy about tonight's bar-hopping. If you do want the job, turn the phone off (not on silent) before you enter the building and don't turn it on again until you're finished.
- Don't send a thank-you note. I think a lot of us assume that the thank-you note (either snail-mail or email) has become extinct. As I've written before, you really want to stand out and a professional follow-up letter thanking the interviewer(s) and restating why you're an excellent candidate for the job is a great way to stand out in a positive way. However, these things have a shelf life. Send that letter later on the day of the interview or the next day. If you wait a week to send the letter, chances are they've already forgotten about you.
- Forget with whom you are interviewing. Think about this scenario: Suzie is a new RT graduate and has three interviews scheduled this week. At interview #2, the interviewer asks what she knows about the organization. Suzie is proud to answer this question because she did a lot of extensive research. Unfortunately, Suzie rattles off a lot of details about the company with whom she interviewed first...and that organization happens to be interview #2's major competitor. What kind of impression might interviewer #2 have of Suzie? How likely is it that Suzie will get the job offer? This also goes for writing cover letters. Make sure you change the "TO" line before you send it in.
- Keep posting those AWESOME party pictures to Facebook and Twitter. There are so many articles out there about social media's impact on the job search that all I can say is "Google it." And, just in case you were wondering what "turns off" a potential employer when they look at your social media site, I found this summary of a CareerBuilder nationwide survey:
- Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photos or information - 50%
- Sites had information about candidate drinking - 48%
- Candidate bad-mouthed previous employer - 33%
- Candidate had poor communication skills - 30%
- Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion - 28%
- Candidate lied about qualifications - 24%
Some of the RT job markets are tight out there. Be smart. Stand out in a positive way. And don't sabotage yourself.