O'Donnell Executive StrategiesWhy Joe was “red-flagged”
A young job seeker named Joe applied to an engineering firm last week through a third party recruiter stating he would jump for the right opportunity accompanied by a salary around $70K.
Joe then told the corporate HR person in a phone screen a few days later he was making $72K salary and wouldn’t move for less than $80K.
The engineering firm knew his present salary was $62K because they had hired a number of other people from the same firm.
Joe then tells the HR person that, while he is willing to work in re-commissioning for while, what he really wants is GHG (greenhouse gas) and sustainability. The job title he applied for is Re-commissioning Specialist.
Comments:
- If you are going to exaggerate your credentials, at least keep your story straight!
- Recruiters usually tell a hiring manager the salary history and expectations of a candidate. Otherwise the recruiter would be chastened for wasting the hiring manager’s time.
- National studies have shown 70% of resumes include an exaggeration. Hiring Managers assume they will hear exaggerations at every step of the screening process and listen for them.
- This job seeker wasted everyone’s time. If you are serious about a company or job, do enough homework before applying to find out the company’s expectations and norms. If interested in the company but not this job, be honest.
- Applying to a company for more than 3 different job titles is not viewed positively by most companies. The applicant is considered not focused or too hungry or too much of a commodity player.
Neither the recruiter not the engineering firm will ever work with Joe again, he has been “red-flagged.”
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Now these are some things I didn’t know!
Also?…happy to see it includes some of the advice I’ve given other job seekers. When I was a creative director, I DESPISED letters that enthusiastically stated, “I’m interested in a position doing design / copywriting / or account work …..” Make up your mind! If you think you’re good enough to do either one, I don’t want you — I want someone ferociously in pursuit!
Many times the interview process serves to tell the job-seeker NOT to join the company. My favorite story revolves around me seeking a mid-management position with a local Chamber of Commerce. Performing what I felt was due diligence and fact-finding for the upcoming interview; I proceeded to do my own surveying with the Chamber members. Unfortunately, I didn’t tell the head of the Chamber I was doing this and when she heard that I had been talking to members (in which I politely told them why I was calling), she got on the phone screaming to me that I was trying to take her job….undermining her authority, etc. Right then and there I knew my future with the Chamber was in serious doubt!