In this horrible economy where so many people have been out of work for nine months to a year …. or longer, it’s certainly understandable for people to feel desperate when it comes to landing a job.  However, what many people don’t realize is desperation shows through and no recruiter wants to hire someone they believe is desperate!

“Okay Bernie, I understand what you’re saying, but what do you mean by desperate?”

I’m glad you asked.  Let me give you some examples of things candidates really do when looking for a job: 

• Send the resume to apply for a job …. on a t-shirt –  I know candidates want to make themselves standout amongst the crowd, but sending their resume on a t-shirt is not the right way to do it.
• Submit photos of them using the product/service of the company to which you’re applying – While recruiters will certainly appreciate your business, this does nothing to tell the recruiter about your credentials and skills.  It actually comes across as “cheesy.”  Sorry!
• Follow up after an interview by sending a gift to the recruiter – Not good!  This tells a recruiter that the candidate is either trying to buy his/her vote of approval or they think he/she is too simple-minded to realize they’re trying to buy their vote.  Either way, not good!  Recruiters are paid for their evaluation skills.  If they forwarding candidates along in the process simply because they were sent a gift, I’m sure they wouldn’t keep their jobs very long.
• Frequent calls without leaving a message – Let me share a secret …. recruiters have caller ID too!  When candidates call 3-4 times in a row, or 3-4 times per day, they scream, “I’m desperate!!”  Even if recruiters are sitting there watching their phone ring, they may not answer it because they’re busy working on other assignments.  By not making wise use of technology (leave a voice mail), they watch candidates continue to call and disrupt their work.  This is a sure-fire way to destroy their chances of being considered for a job, and makes them appear as a stalker!

Consider this – how eager would you be to date someone you just met if they sent you inappropriate gifts and photos of themselves, or called you constantly?  You would probably run the other way.  Think of a job search as being similar to seeking a relationship.  The right amount of attention is very nice, but too much is too much.

This isn’t to say that you should never infuse some creativity into your job search or be persistent .  However, you must think about the type of position you’re seeking, and learn the difference between positive pursuit and gone too far.

Until next time….