Ask the Experts: Don’t Say You Really Need the Job
Question:
I was just interviewed for a government position that would be a stepping stone to the job that I really want. When the interviewer told me that, I agreed and told her that I really need the job. Her tone changed from positive to flat and she then told me that it would be a couple of weeks before I hear back and that I’d need to fill out a bunch of paperwork. Was I wrong to tell her that I really need the job?
First Answer:
You are a buyer as well as a seller when you job hunt, but that doesn’t mean that you can “tell all” in an interview. You are really there to sell yourself and demonstrate to an employer how you can fill their needs. Next time, tell the employer how excited about the position you’re applying for makes you, and how much you really want the job, not need it. Back up enthusiastic statements with positive examples of how you could fulfill the organization’s needs. Save the “true confessions” for your friends.
— Alison Blackman Dunham, life & career expert, columnist, personal public relations consultant, half of THE ADVICE SISTERS®, and the author of the ASK ALISON career advice column
Second Answer:
It may not a fatal error, but as you’ve learned, your statement of need was a mistake. Employers don’t hire on the basis of employee needs. They
hire on the basis of organization needs. You should have kept the focus on
what you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you.
Say you WANT the job; say you are enthusiastic about working there, but
don’t say you NEED the job.
The same principle, by the way, applies to asking for a raise. Never request a raise based on your NEED for it but on what you have contributed
to the company.
Have you written a thank-you note for the interview? If not, doing so would be an opportunity to do some damage control. Insert something like this: “I realized after our interview that I may have expressed my enthusiasm for working for your organization in terms of my need for a job instead of what I really felt — that I’m an excellent fit for this position
and would very much like to contribute my skills.”
If you have already written a thank-you note, send a follow-up note with verbiage similar to the above.
— Katharine Hansen, former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for the Web site, Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters
Third Answer:
When you tell an employer you really need a job, many doubts are raised. Why are you unemployed? Were you fired? Do you lack the necessary skills? Are you difficult to get along with? Do you just need the money, or will you enjoy the job and work hard? The list goes on.
Confident candidates are much more desirable. The interviewer wants to “snatch them up” before somebody else does, and they are often willing to pay what is necessary to do just that! It is all about perception. If you create the perception that you are the best candidate for the job, the employer want you. You must first convince yourself that they need you. Employers seek confident, highly-desirable employees.
So, go out and convince the world that you are the best candidate! Whether or not you need the job is nobody’s business but your own.
— Holly Lentz, Lentz Productions
Fourth Answer:
I can address this simply as can be: that’s why it is called “work.” Of course you need a job. No one pays you to “play. ” Maybe the interviewer was just out of sorts or you were the victim of a bad mood that had nothing to do with you (but it was unprofessional of her to let it out on you). Maybe she was feeling pressured or something else. Don’t worry about her, but do keep looking since until you have a signed employment agreement, there is no assurance that you will be working anywhere.
— Debra Feldman, founder of JobWhiz, creator of the JOBWHIZQUIZ, and specialist in cyber savvy strategic job search consultations
Fifth Answer:
When interviewing for a position, even one that is clearly a stepping stone, focus on your enthusiasm for the current job. And in government jobs, progressing through the ranks is going to be a much longer process than in the private sector.
All employers are looking for someone to put their heart into the job. While some hiring managers are sympathetic to the notion of your really needing a job, desperation is a turn off, not a selling point. Convince them you’re appropriately motivated, that you’re not someone who is likely to vanish if you get a better offer.
— Tracy Laswell Williams, certified job and career transition coach, accredited resume writer and founder of CAREER-Magic.com
Sixth Answer:
Without knowing what was actually said…that is a hard question to answer. Instead of saying “I really need the job,” a better what to phrase that
would be “I am really interestd in this position.” A employer does not
care how “bad” you need the job. They are interested in hiring someone who
is able and wants to do the job they are offering. The phrase “I really
need the job” could also imply that whether or not you were interested in
the job you would take it. That could be construed as a negative to some
employers.
On another note, it is not unreasonable to think that between the time of an interview and the actual hire several week will pass. Especially for
government jobs, there is a lot of paperwork involved and there would also
be the possibility of a background check.
I would suggest that you drop a note to the person who interviewed you expressing again your interest in the job and why you feel you would be a
good candidate for hire. DO NOT mention anything about “needing the job.”
In future cases, refer to interest instead of need.
— Linda Wyatt, Career Center Director, Kansas City Kansas Community College
Seventh Answer:
Yes, you made a classic mistake, staking your claim to the job based on your need rather than your ability to contribute in this role. It’s not that employers are heartless, but no one hires on need, they hire on merit and “fit.” Remember, you are in “sales mode” until someone makes you a firm offer. If an employer thinks you are desperate, she may think (a) you’re not giving thoughtful consideration to your fit in this role, and may accept a job just because you need one, any one, even if it turns out to be a mistake for both of you, (b) you’re having a hard time finding work, you don’t have a lot of employers interested in you: what’s wrong with you? Are you “damaged goods”? and (c) in this situation, if the interviewer told you that the job is a stepping stone to the one you really want, and then you told her you really need a job, she may now wonder how impatiently you will do this job while fuming about the delay in the job you really want.
A better statement would have been something like: “I’m looking forward to doing this job well so that I will be very qualified for progression in the future,” which would have conveyed that you are willing to “pay your dues” in the stepping-stone job, and discuss how you see the match between your qualifications and the specifications for the job you interviewed for.
If you haven’t heard from her, I’d write a note to that effect WITHOUT mentioning your need again. You might overcome the impression that you left in the interview of need, and lay down a new impression of your confidence in your ability to do this job, and your enthusiasm for the work.
— Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City
Eighth Answer:
Congratulations on not only landing an interview but also for landing one that will lead you in the direction you want to go! Honesty is great – neediness and desperation aren’t. Who in today’s world and economy doesn’t need a job? For that matter, why would anybody go on an interview if they didn’t need a job? How did you handle the rest of the interview? If you are qualified for the position and demonstrated this, paperwork is the next step.
I strongly urge you to send a follow-up letter. In this letter you can clear up any thoughts of desperation and replace them with why you want the job and believe you are the right candidate to be hired. It is important to stress to an employer what you offer them and what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. Follow-up with each person you met, thank them for their time, remind them of what you bring to the table, and your eagerness to join the company and start contributing.
If you are still wondering, work with a professional coach who can guide you through the process easier and faster. I am offering a 20% discount on one month of coaching to anyone who mentions this article.
— Janine A. Schindler, Professional Coach and owner of the Jas Coaching Company
Ninth Answer:
Yes–based on my understanding–that was a mistake. The interview (and the job) is not about what YOU need. It’s about what THEY need. If she indicated that the job for which you were interviewing would be an excellent career opportunity, she may have been attempting to get you excited about the possibilities you could create for yourself, and by default, benefit them as the employer as well. By appearing as one who is “needy,” you may have conveyed less interest in the stated position (and thus less interest in meeting the employer’s needs). Never tell someone you NEED anything. Most tend to avoid those who come off as needy.
— Keith F. Luscher, Creative Director with Goettler Associates, Inc., a fund-raising consulting firm serving non-profit organizations nationwide, and author of Don’t Wait Until You Graduate!
