Ah, the unthinkable atrocity. The horror!
Would a recruiter really lie to you, during one of the lowest parts of a job search (getting rejected)?
Of course.
Read The Recruiting Animal’s post: Why Recruiters Lie When Rejecting You.
He starts with this:
I’ll often see a recruiter puffing up her chest online and strutting around bragging about how transparent she is with candidates.
So, then, I’ll ask her, “If the hiring manager rejected a candidate because he didn’t like her voice, would you tell her that? Imagine he said, ‘She’s very intelligent but if I had to listen to that all day, I’d shoot myself.’ Would you pass that on?” continue reading…
What do you think? Would they tell you?
Here’s how he ends his post:
“So, remember this job hunters: recruiters aren’t social workers. It’s not their job to tell you how to improve. If they can, they will; but usually they can’t.” continue reading…
A little dose of reality from one who knows. Thanks Animal for the honesty.
Now, job seekers, where can you go to figure out what you are doing wrong? You know, the stuff a recruiter won’t tell you?
Thanks for the posting, Jason Alba!
I know you asked job seekers where they can go to figure out what they’re doing wrong, but I can’t resist jumping in. I am a career coach, and I get paid to tell people not only what they’re doing wrong but also help them fix whatever problem or problems they’re having and that are within their control to correct. Sometimes this isn’t easy, but educating my clients and ensuring they’re positioned to secure offers is a critical component of my job.
Job seekers–if you don’t have a trusted family member, friend, mentor, or recruiter who is willing to share hard truths with you in a kind and compassionate way, consider hiring a coach. It could very well be the best money you’ll ever spend.
Hm… Robyn, I’ll go one step further.
Job seekers – even if you have a trusted family member, friend, mentor, or recruiter” you want to ask, they might not give you the information you NEED.
They might be embarrassed to tell you what the real problem is.
They might be biased, or not really qualified to help you.
I found that to be the case with my resume review… everyone said it was great, and I was sure to be hired soon. But really, it was WRONG.
A resume professional like Robyn would have been able to see WHY it was wrong (not for spelling or grammar), and help guide me.
The same way a professional coach would have helped me with my dress, body language, etc.
So, don’t put too much weight and responsibility on friends and family… and HR professionals and recruiters don’t tend to be as helpful as you might think (based on my experience, and what I’ve heard/seen).
Thanks, Jason. You’re absolutely right. It’s not easy to tell people that:
* their resume stinks
* their clothes are too small, out of style, or otherwise inappropriate
* they need better support garments (dare I say it… a better fitting bra!)
* they have dandruff
* they have bad breath
* their cologne is too strong
* they ramble or say the wrong thing in an interview
* they stand too close or don’t make eye contact
* their handshake is too weak
It’s not fun to tell people these types of things (and more!)–just like I’m sure it’s not fun for oncologists to tell patients when they have cancer (not that I’m comparing myself to an oncologist). However, it’s only when someone knows what problems they need to address that they can get about the business of addressing them.
Exactly Robyn. Also, a coach is not emotionally connected to the person the way a spouse, parent, etc. is.
If I pay a coach I want honesty that will end my job search.
But someone close to me emotionally might have a really hard time saying certain things because of what it could do to our relationship.
Get the coach, folks!