10 Reasons Why You’re not Getting Hired

By Brenna Bernardin

          You’re resume has been updated, and you have several versions. You bought a new suit and you’ve cleaned up. You have interviews everyday; yet you’re still on the unemployment list.

          It’s not them, it might be you. Finding qualified applicants is an employer’s biggest challenge. The most valuable characteristics in new hires are: multitasking, initiative, and problem-solving skills. Basically, you have to be able to work well alone and stand out in a crowd.

          The job market is packed with recent graduates and veteran job seekers alike. If you’ve been passed by again and again, here are some possible reasons why:

1. You Lie

          Don’t make yourself out to be better than you are. Any lie you tell whether small or large will come back to haunt you, and get you instantly disqualified. Everything you tell an employer can be discovered, so be honest from the get-go.

2. You tell too much about past employment

It might be tempting to tell your future employer, or anyone who will listen, how horrible your last boss was. A hiring manager is not that person. Talking negatively about past employers is incredibly detrimental. Try to turn negatives into a positive. Tell your potential future employer you are looking for a work environment where you feel like a team, not that you hate your co-workers.

3. You don’t show long-term potential

Employers want people in their organization to stay, and possibly work their way up. If you are asked where you see yourself in 5 years, the answer should not be on a beach retired, but rather, growing with the company. Ask questions such as: “What type of career movement do you predict in this role?”

4. You have serious social network dirt

Social networking might be a cool way to keep in contact with everyone and share your dirt, but remember; everyone can see it. Social networking sites and online searches are the newest way employers can get the dirt on possible candidates. Make sure to remove any photos or content that can work against you in the job market.

5. You don’t know… anything

Do some research before going into a job interview. Know about the business, what the job is like, and have some questions ready. Coming to the interview with no knowledge of the company is a turnoff. Explore the company online, prepare answers to questions and have someone give you a mock interview. The more prepared you are, the more employers will take you seriously.

6. You act disinterested

Act enthusiastic about the job and appear interested. Checking out and daydreaming about what you will do for lunch after is not a way to catch an employer’s eye. Acting arrogant can also cost you a potential job. An employer doesn’t want to hear how you would run their business. If you have questions, phrase them in a way where you seem genially interested in the answer.

7. You’re too personal

Employers are not allowed to ask questions about age, religion, race, or politics. But being overly personal with your perspective employer could give them the answers to questions they can’t ask. Talking about yourself too much can also give employers more reasons not to hire you.

 

8. You seem money hungry

Don’t let your first question be about the salary or benefits. As a general rule, you should never bring up salary before and employer does. Bringing up money first makes the employer think you are all about the rewards and not about making the company succeed. This is another place where lying looks bad. Be honest about your salary history. Employers can verify this in a matter of minutes, and lying can cost you your job.

9. You don’t give examples

Hiring managers want people who can prove they will be an asset to the company. If all you give to an employer is a bunch of empty words about your accomplishments, you don't demonstrate how you can help the company. The more you can quantify the work, the better.

10. You don’t have enough experience

The more experience you have, the more likely you are to hit the ground running at a new job and truly be a success. The best way to show that you know what you're doing is to give the employer concrete examples of your experience in a given job duty. 

Remember, you are your biggest asset. Be prepared to market yourself and be in the best light possible.

The Pitfalls of Social Networking and Job Searching

Brenna Bernardin

October 2010

This is the time of social media and networking. It is possible to find classmates from the past and hopeful links for the future. However, social media is not always the best way to find your next job.

How personal is too personal.

The pictures from last weekend might remind you of fun times with friends, but to a future employer, it shows a possible array of problems. Your employer now has preconceived ides about you based on your actions online. It may be harmless fun, until it prevents you from getting a job. Also, watch what both you and your friends post. Once you’ve opened yourself up to social networking for job possibilities, everything is on display and up for judgment.

Your Social Networking page is not your resume.

If you use social networks to help gain job links, you are not always putting your best foot forward. When on an interview, employers look at your resume to judge your character and work value. Your online profile most likely does not contain your personal attributes and accomplishments and job history in the “about me” section. Employers look at what you have posted, this could mean learning your favorite television shows, colorful interest in music, and where you can be found on a Friday night. These are not professional and can be harmful in the long run.

Make an Informed Decision.

Even if you’ve already started an internship or job be mindful of what and how much information you continue to post online. You still want to create a professional image for employers and co-workers so it's important to be vigilant and continually monitor your account to ensure it makes a favorable impression.

Don’t “friend” or “follow” your employer online. You probably don’t always want them to see what you did last weekend or know you called out to go to a concert. You don’t want to be judged daily on information that’s not relevant to your job. It shouldn’t be relevant, but in today’s world, it is.

Businesses may use social networking to choose between two candidates but rarely, if ever, will they use a social network to hire someone. Online, you can be anyone you want, employers realize this, in person, however, and you have to be yourself, flaws and all.

If you still decide to use social networking, consider: Users should also:

• Choose a profile picture carefully that presents them in a positive, professional way
• Moderate comments and pictures posted by friends
• Avoid any inflammatory remarks on blogs, social networking sites, and even emails (particularly about a current or previous employer)

It is important to remember that networks stretch far and wide. Users may not be aware of who knows who in their network and negative comments could easily get back to that person and end up ruining the user’s reputation instead!

Online Checklist for Employment:

Before you apply for jobs, make sure these things are in order:

· Email

· Google and other search engines

· Blogs

· MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites

· Forum / Bulletin Board Posts

Email

Your email address and instant messenger screen name should be professional. Do not include numbers that can be perceived as years, you don’t want to date yourself. Your email messages should include a signature that includes your phone number, so, it's easy for employers to contact you. One way to avoid mixing business with pleasure is to have a dedicated email address and screen name that you use just for job searching.

Social Networking

Do you have an account on a social networking site, like Twitter or Facebook? Believe it or not, employers do check these sites. Take a look at your profile, your pictures, and who is linked from your site and vice versa. Is there anything you wouldn't want a potential employer to see? If you're concerned, make your profile private and be careful what you put on the front page. Anyone may be able to see the information on that page, even if your profile is private.

Online Job Search Privacy

It's important to protect your privacy when job searching online. Even though you should be able to have a personal life online, employers want to find out as much about as candidates for employment as they can. There are ethical issues regarding how deeply employers should look for information, but, there's nothing stopping them from getting as much information as much as they can on you. Especially if you have public profiles online. So, be careful what you share - you're not just sharing it with your friends, you're sharing it with the world.

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t get Fired

Employers are checking out candidates on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. If you post it, I guarantee someone will read it and that very well could be the wrong person, like a hiring manager. Posting company business or posting inappropriate information online are a couple of things that could get you in trouble.

Do Check What’s Online

There's a ton of information that can tell employers a lot about you online including tweets, instant message, blogs, and the content and photos you post on social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. It's quite easy for employers to find information you may have preferred to keep private. Much of it can be found by Googling your name.

Don’t Spend Time Online on Your Boss’s Dime

The temptation, of course, when you're job searching is to spend time looking at job postings, perhaps uploading your resume to apply, talking to contacts, or posting about the trials and tribulations of your job search online. Many people job search from work, but given the way companies monitor employees it's not wise to use your work computer or email account for job searching.

Do Be Consistent

Does the employment history on your resume match what's on your LinkedIn profile? Does the information you have on your Facebook page (if it's public) match up with the information you have elsewhere online? It's fine if you rework your job descriptions, for example, because targeting your resume is a good thing when applying for job. What's not okay is if your job titles, companies, and dates don't jive. That's a red flag for prospective employers.

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