Posted on Nov 4, 2015
Eight Things Job-Seekers Are Sick Of Hearing. Have you experienced this?
4.74K
18
16
5
5
0
How many of you have experienced all or any of this when interviewing for a job?
Job seekers put up with a lot of grief. They take a tremendous amount of abuse from thoughtless recruiters and clueless corporate interviewers.
Sometimes their friends and family members make things worse by asking them “Haven’t you found a job yet?” or suggesting that they’d be back in the workforce already if they’d just stop being so choosy.
Here are eight things job-seekers are sick of hearing, with suggestions for how to respond to each brainless remark.
http://news.monster.com/a/business/eight-things-jobseekers-are-sick-of-hearing-3aa60a?intcid=Sec2_P1&wt.mc_n=CRM_US_B2C_NEWS_Exp_151102
Job seekers put up with a lot of grief. They take a tremendous amount of abuse from thoughtless recruiters and clueless corporate interviewers.
Sometimes their friends and family members make things worse by asking them “Haven’t you found a job yet?” or suggesting that they’d be back in the workforce already if they’d just stop being so choosy.
Here are eight things job-seekers are sick of hearing, with suggestions for how to respond to each brainless remark.
http://news.monster.com/a/business/eight-things-jobseekers-are-sick-of-hearing-3aa60a?intcid=Sec2_P1&wt.mc_n=CRM_US_B2C_NEWS_Exp_151102
Employment
Interview
Transition
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 7
2
2
0
A lot of these things in the article are simply a way for recruiters to allow you the opportunity to expand on your resume and show your salesmanship. I tell everyone that the most important thing you can learn to get yourself hired is salesmanship, because really, you are the product you are trying to sell to employers. You have to know your value, know what you want, and clearly sell that to the employer no different than you would a piece of equipment. If you are trying to sell a $100 piece of equipment to someone for $200 you are not likely to make a sale. If you are underselling it, it is going to be viewed as 'cheap' or 'having something wrong with it' and you are likely to have a hard time making the sale. If you walk into an interview confident that you are selling your skills, experience, talent, etc at exactly what it is worth and you sell that to the employer you will be hired. Exemplify in the interview how the experience you have will make the companies production more efficient (why you, not them), be clear and up front about what YOU want out of the job, and find out what THEY want out of you so there are no misunderstandings over expectations.
(2)
(0)
2
2
0
There are tons of problems with today's recruiting process that will jump up and destroy HR when the economy gets good enough for the job seeker to have the upper hand again.
And HR is arrogant in the way they do things and respond to criticism. I've done it on LinkedIn. I went to a HR forum and told them that they have an adversarial relationship with the job seeker and people get jobs in spite of and around them rather than with their help. They didn't like my comments and I don't really care.
The resume software era has given companies candidates who can write to fool the system and not who can actually do the job. LinkedIn gives real quality job seekers the ability to go around the morass of HR and go right to someone who can get your name in front of the hiring manager. It's HR's nightmare. They become a lot less relevant.
I would love to see more articles about how companies are shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to hiring competent people.
And HR is arrogant in the way they do things and respond to criticism. I've done it on LinkedIn. I went to a HR forum and told them that they have an adversarial relationship with the job seeker and people get jobs in spite of and around them rather than with their help. They didn't like my comments and I don't really care.
The resume software era has given companies candidates who can write to fool the system and not who can actually do the job. LinkedIn gives real quality job seekers the ability to go around the morass of HR and go right to someone who can get your name in front of the hiring manager. It's HR's nightmare. They become a lot less relevant.
I would love to see more articles about how companies are shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to hiring competent people.
(2)
(0)
PO1 John Miller
CSM David Heidke
Good advice CSM. I always say that HR is there to protect the company, not to get people hired or defend their employee's rights.
Luckily the company I work for, all I use HR for is pay issues. Recruiting is done by technical recruiters and interviews are done by Site Managers. Those people know the position that is being hired out, so who better to do the interviews?
Good advice CSM. I always say that HR is there to protect the company, not to get people hired or defend their employee's rights.
Luckily the company I work for, all I use HR for is pay issues. Recruiting is done by technical recruiters and interviews are done by Site Managers. Those people know the position that is being hired out, so who better to do the interviews?
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I'm a recruiter myself and I get to the point. You either know what you're talking about or you don't. show me confidence and also explain your answers. We don't know you, all we know is what you have on paper.
I love to help everyone, but especially our veterans. I know what is like to not have a job and have a family to feed. please google interview techniques and be able to elaborate on what it is that you do.
Carlos
I love to help everyone, but especially our veterans. I know what is like to not have a job and have a family to feed. please google interview techniques and be able to elaborate on what it is that you do.
Carlos
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
Yes. It is all in the game and probably for the best. It is better to find out that there is no fit with a company during the interview process than to find out six months into the new job.
(1)
(0)
PO1 John Miller
Capt Seid Waddell
I feel you. I've had a few interviews where I was excited about the prospective position, but once I interviewed for it I realized it wasn't for me and that I wouldn't be a good fit for that company.
I feel you. I've had a few interviews where I was excited about the prospective position, but once I interviewed for it I realized it wasn't for me and that I wouldn't be a good fit for that company.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
Speaking as a hiring manager, the second one (about volunteering) is flat-out wrong. Volunteering is NOT the same as paid work, for a number of reasons. The very first is accountability. A close second and third are organizational authority and dynamics. Fourth is rounded out by the fact that you likely were not competitively "hired" for that position. Rounding out the top five is the fact that volunteers often get to make up their own titles and "job descriptions."
The part of the answer about "pay for previous engagements" not being anyone's business is also flat-out wrong. Compensation levels are often used as a proxy for understanding organizational authority. It's very rough, but it's better than nothing. A "Director of Marketing" who made $80K a year and had a staff of 7 is an entirely different beast than a "Director of Marketing" who made $0 a year and "worked with" 23 volunteers and donors.
NOTE: None of the above should be seen as disparaging volunteerism or volunteers. When I hire people, I more often than not will look at volunteer gigs positively (depending on the overall package). A good interviewee will spin it as a decided positive due to the nature of volunteer gigs - "I had to get things done working with stakeholders with multiple different interests, where I had no official authority. This required me to get very good at understanding other's needs and crafting win-win solutions that everyone could get behind. An example is when we needed to...."
But don't try to hide/misrepresent the nature of the gig. When I find out on the reference check (and I will.... despite what you were told about how nobody checks them or shares anything), THEN it will be an issue that you can't overcome.
The part of the answer about "pay for previous engagements" not being anyone's business is also flat-out wrong. Compensation levels are often used as a proxy for understanding organizational authority. It's very rough, but it's better than nothing. A "Director of Marketing" who made $80K a year and had a staff of 7 is an entirely different beast than a "Director of Marketing" who made $0 a year and "worked with" 23 volunteers and donors.
NOTE: None of the above should be seen as disparaging volunteerism or volunteers. When I hire people, I more often than not will look at volunteer gigs positively (depending on the overall package). A good interviewee will spin it as a decided positive due to the nature of volunteer gigs - "I had to get things done working with stakeholders with multiple different interests, where I had no official authority. This required me to get very good at understanding other's needs and crafting win-win solutions that everyone could get behind. An example is when we needed to...."
But don't try to hide/misrepresent the nature of the gig. When I find out on the reference check (and I will.... despite what you were told about how nobody checks them or shares anything), THEN it will be an issue that you can't overcome.
(1)
(0)
PO1 John Miller
COL Vincent Stoneking
I agree Sir. I don't like it (particularly the compensation part) but I get it! :)
I said that because I've often interviewed for positions that pay less than previous jobs I've had. Hiring managers in my experience are leery to recommend me for hire for that reason. "Why does this guy want a job that pays less than his previous/current one? I'm afraid that if we hire him he'll quit as soon as he finds a better paying position!"
I've often tried to explain that money isn't everything. Job satisfaction and work/life balance are just as important as pay and benefits.
I agree Sir. I don't like it (particularly the compensation part) but I get it! :)
I said that because I've often interviewed for positions that pay less than previous jobs I've had. Hiring managers in my experience are leery to recommend me for hire for that reason. "Why does this guy want a job that pays less than his previous/current one? I'm afraid that if we hire him he'll quit as soon as he finds a better paying position!"
I've often tried to explain that money isn't everything. Job satisfaction and work/life balance are just as important as pay and benefits.
(1)
(0)
CSM David Heidke
previous pay is also a way for a company to low ball an offer.
I like the idea of not telling them. If they look at your resume and experience, they should pay what you're worth, not what the previous companies happen to be lucky enough to get you for.
I've taken some jobs at low pay, so that I could work and have a paycheck. If someone asks me what I make, I tell them they should base my offer on what they are willing to pay a person for the level of experience I have. My current salary has no bearing. After all, why would you think would be a major reason for someone to look for a new job?
I worked for a company back in the early 90's that held salaries very tightly, the economy got good, and they lost 70% of their intellectual capital to competitors because they didn't want to pay. They eventually did across the board pay adjustments to save what they had left.
Eventually the pendulum will swing...
I like the idea of not telling them. If they look at your resume and experience, they should pay what you're worth, not what the previous companies happen to be lucky enough to get you for.
I've taken some jobs at low pay, so that I could work and have a paycheck. If someone asks me what I make, I tell them they should base my offer on what they are willing to pay a person for the level of experience I have. My current salary has no bearing. After all, why would you think would be a major reason for someone to look for a new job?
I worked for a company back in the early 90's that held salaries very tightly, the economy got good, and they lost 70% of their intellectual capital to competitors because they didn't want to pay. They eventually did across the board pay adjustments to save what they had left.
Eventually the pendulum will swing...
(0)
(0)
COL Vincent Stoneking
PO1 John Miller - That is a very real fear and issue. As a hiring manager, the hardest offer I ever made was to someone whom I knew would be taking a huge pay cut (Contractor in DC being hired to do the same thing in WA state as a direct, double whammy).
She was head and shoulders above all the competition, but I almost didn't offer for that exact reason. Fear that it would be nothing but a place for her to take calls until she got the "right" offer. After hire (and yes, she was shocked about the actual pay and that I was constrained to hire her at the lower end of the range), I was on eggshells for about 5-6 months expecting her resignation daily.
If interviewing for a job that is a step down in pay, you definitely need a narrative that makes it make sense to the person doing the hiring. Work/life balance is a good one (though if done clumsily it can come across as "I want to get paid to not work" Not what is meant, but what a LOT of people really DO message), as is burnout.
I know one peer of mine who took about a 30% pay cut (dropping 2 organizational levels) to take his current position. He explained as work/life, but with very specific details. In his case, he was working 60+ hours a week, was highly stressed by the nature of the work, and it was impacting his family. He stated quite clearly "I've done this kind of work before, liked it, can live on less money, but can't live without my wife or knowing my kids. I'm willing to work long hours occasionally, but not more that 45 on a regular basis" or words to that effect. A lot more detail than most people will volunteer, but it really painted a picture that let him jump that hurdle.
Of course, getting past the "why the pay cut" is easier if you are employed at the time you are looking. If unemployed, it raises the "this guy just wants ANY job and will leave as soon as a better one comes by" flag. If employed, of course, it raises the "Is he about to be fired?" flag.
Not an easy hurdle, but it can be jumped.
She was head and shoulders above all the competition, but I almost didn't offer for that exact reason. Fear that it would be nothing but a place for her to take calls until she got the "right" offer. After hire (and yes, she was shocked about the actual pay and that I was constrained to hire her at the lower end of the range), I was on eggshells for about 5-6 months expecting her resignation daily.
If interviewing for a job that is a step down in pay, you definitely need a narrative that makes it make sense to the person doing the hiring. Work/life balance is a good one (though if done clumsily it can come across as "I want to get paid to not work" Not what is meant, but what a LOT of people really DO message), as is burnout.
I know one peer of mine who took about a 30% pay cut (dropping 2 organizational levels) to take his current position. He explained as work/life, but with very specific details. In his case, he was working 60+ hours a week, was highly stressed by the nature of the work, and it was impacting his family. He stated quite clearly "I've done this kind of work before, liked it, can live on less money, but can't live without my wife or knowing my kids. I'm willing to work long hours occasionally, but not more that 45 on a regular basis" or words to that effect. A lot more detail than most people will volunteer, but it really painted a picture that let him jump that hurdle.
Of course, getting past the "why the pay cut" is easier if you are employed at the time you are looking. If unemployed, it raises the "this guy just wants ANY job and will leave as soon as a better one comes by" flag. If employed, of course, it raises the "Is he about to be fired?" flag.
Not an easy hurdle, but it can be jumped.
(1)
(0)
PO1 John Miller
COL Vincent Stoneking
I actually am currently employed but actively searching for a new position. There's a few reasons behind the search, but the big one is I'm not being challenged in my current position.
I actually am currently employed but actively searching for a new position. There's a few reasons behind the search, but the big one is I'm not being challenged in my current position.
(1)
(0)
0
0
0
0
0
0
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google