04/01/2017
Previous | Next | Career Corner Home | Health | Issues | Personal Finance
When you’re interviewing for a job, it is going well, and the company likes you, it’s a powerful sensation. The feeling is mutual on the other side of the desk. When an interviewer meets a candidate whose energy and experience are just what you are looking for and you start to think “This person could benefit us a great deal,” you go through the same stages.
You get to know more about your candidate as you continue the conversation, and you begin to visualize this individual in the position. The candidate starts to picturing his/herself in the job. The conversation get looser and more friendly. Finally, a job offer is extended and you hope they accept. Usually, she/he does. Once the agreement is struck, you rejoice!
By the end of a hiring process, your future manager wants to hire you as urgently as you want to be employed. For this reason, it is important to watch your manners and professionalism at the end of the recruiting process. Don’t make a last-minute blunder that will cost you the job offer!Here are five tragic, late-in-the-game interview mistakes job seekers make that cost them the position:
1. Announcing that you need a three-month sabbatical mid-next-year, that you can’t start your job for six weeks, or that you can only work from home.
2. Bombing your reference and/or background check. Most employers will not overlook details in a reference-checking and employment verification process. If they run into gaping holes or information that doesn’t agree with what you told them, that will cost you.
3. Going silent. Some candidates hear “We want you to join us — look for our offer in the mail” and will not hear the rest of the process. Two and a half weeks later a hysterical recruiter is messaging him/her constantly, asking “Where are you?” Only to get the reply, “I went to Vegas with my buddies to celebrate my new position,” only to find out that he/she is no longer a candidate for the role.
4. Pulling the organization into a bidding war. This is risky because some employers will play ball and others won’t. it is a business tactic, but you have to be prepared for a company that will not play the game. The hiring manger may say “We’re happy for you — we’re delighted that you are so much in demand right now. We don’t want to hold you back from taking that offer. We cannot match or exceed that offer.” You cannot blame them if they rescind the offer. If you agreed that a certain salary would get you on board and they offered that salary but now you are saying that other employers will pay you more, they may say “All the best to you!” and move on to another candidate.
5. Last but not least, you can lose a job offer if you fail a drug test, employers that use drug testing as part of their recruiting process have a strict no tolerance policy.
Double-check your references, your employment and educational histories before you apply for a job — not afterward! Make sure that you are ready to pass a drug screening. Keep track of the interview pipelines you are in and keep the lines of communication open in case you are contacted by the company – especially as you get close to receiving a job offer!
If you have special situation like a vacation in the near future or the ability to work from home, address those topics before you get the job offer.
Once the interviewer likes you and you like them, you are way more than halfway to the finish line in your job search. Be careful not to mess it up at the last minute!
Courtesy of Katrina Brittingham
Katrina Brittingham is master level business and accounting professional, certified professional resume writer, and gold designated career coach. She is board member for The National Resume Writer’s Association. She is featured in “Modernize Your Resume,” various career-related, and online blogs/publications. Incorporating her business acumen, Katrina is sought after as an expert in resume writing, LinkedIn profiles, interview readiness, and job search strategies. Katrina is the owner of VentureReady LLC, an award-winning career services firm dedicated to assisting entry-level to C-suite executives take the next step in the journey of their careers paths. Connect with Katrina on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
© 2017 Katrina BrittinghamThe views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of College Central Network, Inc. or its affiliates. Reference to any company, organization, product, or service does not constitute endorsement by College Central Network, Inc., its affiliates or associated companies. The information provided is not intended to replace the advice or guidance of your legal, financial, or medical professional.