Job Seekers Can Do the Stupidest Things
A tip of the hat to employment attorney T.J. Conley of Leonard, Street & Deinard for bringing to my attention a recent survey of hiring managers by research firm Harris Interactive. Harris asked the 3,061 hiring managers to describe the top mistakes made by job seekers during interviews:
- Candidate answered cell phone and asked the interviewer to leave her own office because it was a "private" conversation.
- Candidate told the interviewer he wouldn't be able to stay with the job long because he thought he might get an inheritance if his uncle died -- and his uncle wasn't "looking too good."
- Candidate asked the interviewer for a ride home after the interview.
- Candidate smelled his armpits on the way to the interview room.
- Candidate said she could not provide a writing sample because all of her writing had been for the CIA and it was "classified."
- Candidate told the interviewer he was fired for beating up his last boss.
- When an applicant was offered food before the interview, he declined saying he didn't want to line his stomach with grease before going out drinking.
- A candidate for an accounting position said she was a "people person" not a "numbers person."
- Candidate flushed the toilet while talking to interviewer during phone interview.
- Candidate took out a hair brush and brushed her hair.
"Candidate flushed the toilet while talking to interviewer during phone interview." I loved that one. Many times I have gone into mens rooms and there is someone in the stall talking business while they do their own. Is the person on the other end really that accepting of talking to someone on the john? I doubt it.