Want some insights on the easiest way to not get hired?

2015-10-05T16:35:35-04:00

I've now been a civilian recruiter for over 3 years since retiring. I am totally amazed that folks will fill out applications or send resumes with their phone numbers that are disconnected, vmail full or not even set up. Also, having your phone set up as not available and not letting it go to voice mail,instead having a message that says try your call again later.

Call the recruiter and leave no name or phone number when theirs is blocked. Along with some of this is answering the phone rudely because you don't recognize the number.

Recruiters may have different numbers than what you called.

These are some of the surest ways not to get a call back, national recruiters deal with a lot of applicants, you can expect to go to the bottom of the list that will probably disappear at the end of the day due to next days business.

If you want to get hired I would fix the above issues at least you may get a call back. If you don't rest assured one call is all you will get.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Oct 5 at 2015 4:41 PM

2015-10-05T16:41:46-04:00

CSM Michael Lynch A local business always disqualifies any applicant wearing a 'wife-beater' shirt for lack of good sense!

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Oct 5 at 2015 5:38 PM

2015-10-05T17:38:43-04:00

Generational thing. A lot of young folks don't listen to Voice Mail because they have Caller ID. I don't understand it.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2015 9:22 AM

2015-10-06T09:22:52-04:00

I've been trying to explain this to my wife for years. She refuses to set up the voicemail on her phone and is one of the biggest call screeners in the world. If she doesn't recognize the number, she simply wont answer it. She claims "If it is important they will call back or Text me." Then IF they do bother to call back, she still wont answer it because she still doesn't recognize the number. Then she wonders why she can't even get an interview.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2015 11:43 AM

2015-10-06T11:43:33-04:00

Here's a great example, guaranteed to ensure you won't be the next CEO!!!!

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Oct 6 at 2015 12:15 PM

2015-10-06T12:15:48-04:00

I'm no expert in this area (as judged by my stellar career trajectory), but one thing I would add is that email addresses should be professional as well. I had a buddy in college whose email address was “keggerdude@...”!

Response by SGT Michael Glenn made Oct 6 at 2015 2:07 PM

2015-10-06T14:07:44-04:00

Going to a interview in shorts an the good ole T is an easy way not to get hired either!!!! waiting for them to call you is another, Hound them and show them your interested in the position, I guarantee you that person who got the position you wanted...called at least twice a week.

Response by MSgt Timothy Sarchett made Oct 13 at 2015 12:40 PM

2015-10-13T12:40:27-04:00

This applies to house/apartment hunting too. I own/manage a number of places and I would frequently get applications that had phone numbers which were to prepaid phones with no time, vmail not set up (or the inbox is full), rude or otherwise ridiculous answering messages, or the people answered rudely because they didn't recognize the number. I wonder how many of them are still looking for a new place to live!

Response by SPC David Hannaman made Oct 13 at 2015 12:44 PM

2015-10-13T12:44:00-04:00

Excellent points CSM. Remember guys, it's a competition. The sheer volume of applicants for a given position often means that someone who has no clue what skills are needed for the position often does the initial screening of resume's.

I spoke to one HR person that simply looked through the stack of resume's and threw out any that didn't have the correct punctuation (and the job wasn't for an editor, it was for a computer geek).

Being a veteran might get you noticed, but after that it means dick. Same thing with a college degree... it might be something that gets your application on to the next level, but after that it means zip unless the hiring manager is an alumni of you alma mater.

What value do you bring to our team? If you can answer THAT, now you have something. I've gone into interviews and walked out with a different job than the one I applied to because they saw that I could bring value to their organization... they wanted ME, and then they kept looking for the "warm body to fill the position"

Response by TSgt Theodore Schubert made Oct 13 at 2015 1:34 PM

2015-10-13T13:34:03-04:00

CSM Lynch has brought up several good points. In today's competitive job market, the interview begins long before and after that first contact. How a person conducts themselves online and the image they present (crazy email address/social media pages) can leave a negative impression.

Response by SGM Hal McCarthy made Oct 13 at 2015 2:02 PM

2015-10-13T14:02:07-04:00

Totally agree Michael. I have been recruiting for over 4 years; 3 with a DOD contractor. I see far too many young troops with unrealistic salary expectations for their experience. They should keep in mind that they are one of many who have those qualifications trying to gain employment.

Response by PV2 David Mangold made Oct 13 at 2015 2:02 PM

2015-10-13T14:02:59-04:00

Don't submit a resume without a cover letter. More importantly, be sure that the cover letter format is uniform to that of the resume. I recently received a typed resume via fax with a cover letter that read, "I would be alright working for your company." And it appeared to be written with a sharpie. I must give credit to the fact that the applicant did follow up with a phone call, however, he initiated that call by saying, "did you get my fax?" I told him I did and he replied, "Okay, yeah, I figured I should start looking for a job seeing as my unemployment runs out this month."

Don't be that guy...

Response by SSgt Nicholas (Nick) Hiddemen made Oct 13 at 2015 3:26 PM

2015-10-13T15:26:29-04:00

When I was interviewing a person for a position I had open, one of the people who came in did not even know what industry the company was in, and it was in the name of the company.

Response by LTC Julian Carnes made Oct 13 at 2015 3:30 PM

2015-10-13T15:30:40-04:00

Making me wait, calling me by my first name unless I ask them to, fiddling with things on my desk, not answering the question, as said by others, inappropriately dressed. All these and the things mentioned by others. Good luck.

Response by SGT Jim Ramge, MBA made Oct 13 at 2015 4:31 PM

2015-10-13T16:31:23-04:00

Would enjoy hearing why so many Human Resources personnel are unprofessional since you work in that line of business now. Why would one string me along for 8 weeks, another for 4 weeks, a number of them have had me stop the rotation of the earth to customize my resume for their job need, or, flat out calls of, "Hey I saw your resume, etc., only to not hear back from any of them again... I can see your point of the unemployed doing stupid things while applying, as you had stated in your post, however, what gives on the other side of the arena? How are Veterans to combat the sly hiring moves from the many H.R. departments? Thank you for your time! Jim

Response by PO3 Rod Arnold made Oct 13 at 2015 7:33 PM

2015-10-13T19:33:00-04:00

Maybe these same people are to irresponsible to become military!!!

Response by PO2 Weaver Brian made Oct 14 at 2015 12:49 AM

2015-10-14T00:49:39-04:00

I used to be the first point of contact at the company where I worked. Someone comes in applying for a job, never has worked in our industry, yet the conversation proves he knows so much about everything there is to know that he can't be trained. As soon as he is out the door his application is in the round file.

Response by SGT Michael Glenn made Oct 14 at 2015 12:51 AM

2015-10-14T00:51:29-04:00

Marry the boss's daughter!!!

Response by PO2 Robert Cuminale made Oct 14 at 2015 2:51 PM

2015-10-14T14:51:12-04:00

As an employer may I add to CSM Lynch's advice?
If you are sending in a resume get it spell checked? I realize that not everyone is great at spelling or might be slightly dyslexic but it is something that I and other employers look at.
How about working at improving your handwriting? If a customer can't read the invoice and calls me to decipher it that eats up my time, especially if I must call you to help me with it.

Response by CPT Bill McNeely made Oct 14 at 2015 4:46 PM

2015-10-14T16:46:37-04:00

Interesting.

I would suggest a Google Voice number. It's free and especially if your number is disconnected for finacial reasons you can still get your vmail in text or email format.

Response by Cpl James Waycasie made Oct 14 at 2015 6:48 PM

2015-10-14T18:48:45-04:00

I think one of the easiest ways to not get hired is what a lot of people today do......... don't apply anywhere and depend on the taxes paid by others to take care of you. lol, jmho

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Oct 15 at 2015 7:27 AM

2015-10-15T07:27:41-04:00

I've noticed the same things. It's called in attention to detail and too many young people today suffer from it. What bugs me most of all are incorrectly spelled words, poor grammar, and punctuation

Response by SPC Lisa McGinnis made Oct 15 at 2015 10:47 AM

2015-10-15T10:47:49-04:00

I work in the hotel industry and I have had applicants come in for interviews in short shorts and they bring their children with them. If you can't get a baby sitter for your interview, why should I believe you can get a baby sitter, if you are hired?

Response by SCPO Carl Wayne Boss made Oct 15 at 2015 7:08 PM

2015-10-15T19:08:12-04:00

CSM... That's definitely an excellent list of ways NOT to get hired! I was a military recruiter for near 10 years and experienced the same kinds of non-sense and more!

I see two possibilities for Sr. Chief Bowerman's CEO "candidate"...

(1) Where ever this "thing" shows up... people are guaranteed to quickly get up and run away screaming.

(2) I'd say "it" might be just the thing... if showing up for a "screen test" for the filming of the next episode of "Lord of the Rings" or similar Sci-Fi flick... but can't think where else that kind of get up might fit.

Response by MSgt Wayne Morris made Oct 16 at 2015 6:47 AM

2015-10-16T06:47:13-04:00

I have people send me resumes looking for positions and am amazed at times. They are full of military acronyms and too many appear as if they just cut and pasted the narrative from their last 5 performance reports. Other times they are a bio from birth to current week (way too long folks) and say nothing about why I or my company should hire them. Also, try some punctuation folks! Don't write run on sentences that take up a quarter of a page without a comma or such to be found. Lastly, dress for success and show up on time for an interview with your phone either muted or off!

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Oct 17 at 2015 12:12 PM

2015-10-17T12:12:18-04:00

Be late. Late responding to request for info or a call back. Worse yet: be late for the interview.

Response by SCPO Mark German made Oct 28 at 2015 3:44 PM

2015-10-28T15:44:47-04:00

I have done a lot of hiring, promotional and program interviews. The stories are endless. That type of applicant can at least be eliminated as a non-serious contender with little time invested by the recruiter.