It is now time for our annual “Don’t Do It” list. This is where I list the most common (or unusual) complaints that I have gathered from Recruiters or Hiring Managers since the previous year’s version. This is all real-life feedback that I have heard, so I would hope that these items would carry even more weight than my usual tips.
I hope that you are not doing anything on this list, but if you are… “don’t do it!”
• One of the most common complaints I have heard lately is regarding the length of resumes. There really has not been any fundamental change in the accepted length of a resume. The document should be one-two pages on average, depending on the length of your experience, credentials, etc. I have heard that resumes have exploded in length to as many as 10+ pages. This appears to be especially true for technical or Information Technology types of positions. The only thing I can think of is that these people are trying to game the AI applicant tracking system by placing as many keywords as possible into the resume. Rather than attracting the eye of the Hiring Manager in a positive way, it frustrates them as no one has the time to sort through such a long document.
• Something frustrating Hiring Managers seems to be the strategy of waiting until the job offer to spring requests/demands. While it is certainly acceptable to discuss salary once receiving an offer letter, this is not the time to spring other requests. Items that I have heard are the need to work remotely from home, having an extended vacation scheduled in the near future, and a specific scheduling requirement. All of these should have been brought up and discussed PRIOR to the offer. It is a waste of everyone’s time to bring up potential dealbreaker items at the offer stage.
• One that is perhaps not as common (but pretty scary) is someone pretending to be someone else so they can be hired. In today’s world of not only remote work but also all video interviewing, a hiring manager may not meet a person face-to-face until hire (if even that). Now, in some circumstances, this may be IT scammers looking to get access to systems so they can wreak havoc on a company. In other situations, it is done in order to fool the company into hiring them when they are not the most qualified. In either situation…it is not good and really wrong, so please “don’t do it.”
• This one is about having realistic job expectations and is primarily focused on the younger applicants. The real world of employment is much different than what you may have seen on TV or perhaps witnessed with your part-time work. In most part-time service types of jobs, they will celebrate when you stay 60 days and throw a parade for you if you make it to six months. You may also get increases every so often in order to keep you from quitting. While there may be some retention value to all of these concepts, most companies do not apply this compensation and rewards strategy. In most companies, the maximum you will formally receive is a mid-year and annual review, and probably the one-year period is the norm. You will also most likely not receive increases throughout the year. So, what is the solution? Ask about the review and compensation cycle, and if it is not to your liking, then don’t continue pursuing or even taking the job. You will just be miserable, quit the job and the employer will have wasted all the training time.
• You read a lot regarding candidate frustration with employers, not communicating enough or at all with job seekers who are engaged in the assessment process. I do agree there is definite merit to communicating with a candidate if you have engaged them already and have initiated them in your review. However, two wrongs don’t make a right, and candidates need to stop with the growing trend of “ghosting” recruiters and/or hiring managers. If you have decided that you are no longer interested in a position that you have engaged in, then you owe the courtesy of informing the company that you are withdrawing from consideration. This should be done as soon as possible, especially if you are in a situation where you have accepted a job offer with them.
So, there you have it, another edition of “don’t do it” has been completed. Please go on our website of www.wnyjobs.com to look up the entire series that goes back many years. As long as job seekers are doing things they shouldn’t be, we will keep documenting them in our annual list.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of RochesterJobs 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
