Recruiters serve an important role in your securing a new job. You need them to help you get to the next stage of the screening or interview process. Recruiters can be gatekeepers, decision-makers and influencers when it comes to filling roles within companies. Therefore, you want to treat them with respect and follow basic job search etiquette. In case you are not familiar with these unwritten rules, these are the top behaviors that will alienate you and hurt your chances of getting the job.
Last-minute cancellation. It is inconsiderate to cancel a phone interview or in-person interview at the last minute. What you may not realize is that your cancellation not only alters the recruiter’s schedule but the schedules of multiple people within the organization. Emergencies happen, such as a death in the family or a newly scheduled team meeting at your current job. But treat your interview like you are showing up for work on your first day. When you try to reschedule an interview, you are breaking the recruiter’s trust in you as a candidate.
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No-showing for an interview or missing a phone interview. Recruiters have little tolerance for candidates who fail to show up for an interview or miss a scheduled call. It shows a lack of professionalism and may even get you blacklisted from future jobs.
Lying about qualifications. One reason for the interview is to assess your experience and skills. Exaggerating your level of proficiency or flat out lying about the work you have done is unethical and will be uncovered at some point. Don’t overrepresent your skills. Stick to the facts and avoid flowery adjectives when describing what you have done. Remember to only take credit for the actual work you performed.
Pestering recruiters. Recruiters evaluate candidates based on their interaction throughout the interview process. When you follow up, you should show interest but you don’t want to overdo it. Give the recruiter some time, usually a couple of weeks, to review applications before you reach out. If you don’t get a response, wait a week and follow up again. Be patient and understand that recruiters often have many jobs to fill at the same time. Continue to politely follow up weekly until you get a response or decide to focus your time and energy on another job opportunity. Be careful how you communicate your interest. Do not pose ultimatums or express your dissatisfaction with the process or how long it is taking.
Bait and switch. If you applied for one job with the intent of getting in front of a recruiter for another job, that’s a big mistake. The recruiter wants to fill open jobs and might view your actions as dishonest or deceitful. Your false intentions show a lack of respect for the recruiter’s time and that does not bode well for you and future job opportunities.
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Bad-mouthing your previous boss. When you say negative things about your previous boss or employer, it reflects poorly on you. Recruiters may view this as a breach of confidentiality. In other words, if you say bad things about your previous boss, what else might you say in public? Stay positive and take the high road when talking about past jobs and managers.
Being stubborn about salary. You will be asked about your salary expectations. So before you fill out the application, you need to research salaries. When asked by a recruiter what your salary requirements are, don’t be difficult, but don’t divulge too much information, either. Ask the recruiter what salary range they have budgeted, and hopefully, that information will give you an idea. Let the recruiter know you are genuinely looking forward to learning more about the job. You can either positively enforce the fact that your salary is within the range or state your own broad salary range. Refusing to provide a salary range can make you look difficult to work with, so be ready to tackle this question.
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Delivering constructive criticism. Do not critique or criticize the job description or attempt to tell the recruiter how to do their job. Challenging a recruiter is inappropriate, especially early in the process. You may have good intentions, but your feedback will not be received well. You haven’t earned the right to be trusted unless you are the one signing the recruiter’s paycheck. This isn’t to say all recruiters know what they are doing or are ethical themselves. You need to understand what you can change and what you cannot change. Speaking out will only alienate you as a candidate.
Reneging on a job offer. Never accept an offer and then decline it when a better offer comes along. By the time you finally receive an offer, both you and the company have invested serious time into the process. When a recruiter extends an offer and you accept the offer verbally or in writing, you are committed. If you do have other offers pending, delay your response as long as possible. Reneging on an offer will absolutely hurt your future chance as a candidate with that organization.
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