Congratulations Graduate Also, 9 Reasons Why I Will Never Hire You

http://bostinno.com/channels/congratulations-graduate-also-9-reasons-why-i-will-never-hire-you/

by vespaceballs6 • 14 years ago

4 1 14 years ago

Anechoic• 14 years ago

Points 2, 4, 7 are entirely reasonable.

Point 1 is relatively subjective, one person's "too long" can very easily be another person's "not enough."

Point 3 - I guess YMMV. If I'm hiring someone, a "thank you" indicates some thoughtfulness, I'm not going to be offended that an applicant didn't offer a treatise to her experience at the interview. That said, a more complete "thank you" note would probably put that applicant ahead of another applicant with a shorter note.

Point 5 - somewhat disagree, I think it's just as much a job for an employer to guide an applicant/employee as much as it is for an applicant/employee to sell herself.

Point 6 - in the context of "don't get social media, but thinks you do" I can agree, but the implication here is that an applicant needs a social media presence. The author works for a marketing firm, so perhaps in that industry it's true, but no so much for other industries. I'm an engineer who works a lot for state and federal agencies, and there are pitfalls to social media that one has to be aware of (being perceived to represent "official" policy, accidentally revealing incorrect information, providing material for opposing legal counsel, etc).

Point 8 - completely disagree. Not everyone wants or needs to have a public presence, and some folks may be uncomfortable with providing information to a online service that will almost certainly try to sell that information. I'm fine with that. That said, if you do have a LinkedIn profile, the info better match what's on your resume.

Point 9 - agree, but I also realize that internships/co-ops may not be possible depending on your circumstances. I'll give bonus points for having an internship, but won't necessarily dock you if you don't have one, and your qualifications/references are otherwise stellar.

Point 10 - there's courtesy and there's shyness. As a shy person myself, and recognizing that someone fresh out of college may be overwhelmed at an interview, I'm going to cut you some slack. That said, one thing I will look for is evidence of bias - for example, if I introduce you to a female supervisor and then you spend the next 20 minutes of the interview completely ignoring the female and only addressing her male underling, I'll notice.

TL;DR: job applicants, don't think all 10 of these reasons apply to all jobs everywhere, be mindful of your industry and the company you are applying for.

Congratulations Graduate Also, 9 Reasons Why I Will Never Hire You

Related Stories