Whether you like it or not, the hiring manager is key for how you advance in your job hunt. What you think is being helpful and demonstrating ambition might actually be extremely annoying! Let’s review some of the top mistakes that drive hiring managers crazy so that you can avoid these mishaps at all costs.
Ignoring “No Calls”: Following directions is a basic skill for any job, yet so many job seekers ignore a hiring manager’s request to not receive calls. Whether you’re asking if they received your application, are following up about a phone interview, or just want to check progress, it’s downright annoying. Respect the no-call request if it’s made so you don’t seem desperate. Bottom line: Put down the phone.
Bypassing Cover Letter Requests: When done well, a cover letter is always a nice complement to a resume and can make you stand out, yet people are tempted to skip it in order to get an application done quickly. While GetFive career coaches always recommend having a cover letter, if you skip it when one is requested in a job ad, you’ll make yourself stand out in a bad way to the hiring manager. Don’t take the easy way out!
Calling to Schedule an Interview: It’s a hiring manager’s job to decide who is best qualified for a position and deserves a formal interview. So when you call to “schedule” an interview, you’re essentially telling them they don’t know how to do their job. You don’t get to make that decision, and your phone call not only wastes their time, but now you seem pushy, which can cost you the opportunity.
Being Too Busy: Hiring managers understand that most people have lives outside of job hunting. However, scheduling a time to talk, whether on the phone or a formal in-person interview, shouldn’t be a dramatic ask. Phone interviews should take place within a week of request and in-person interviews should be within two weeks (unless travel is involved). If you can’t flex a bit, the hiring manager will stop bothering and move on.
Unprepared Interview: From arriving too late to dressing too casually to not being able to ask intelligent questions, being unprepared for an interview drives hiring managers up the wall. This is the time to make the best impression. You do not want to come off like you don’t care or only care about certain things like salary. Do your homework, know the basics about the company, dress professionally, and come with thoughtful questions to ask. if you can’t do that, decline the request to interview and take yourself out of the running, as you’re not fully invested in pursing the job.
