Dealbreakers for Hiring Managers: Mistakes to Avoid
<p>You have it all: the right college degree, great experience, and you felt that you aced the interview. And then you don’t get the job. What could have gone wrong? Employees in hiring positions pitched in on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/bfw72y/redditors_in_hiring_positions_what_small_things/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reddit</a> with the dealbreakers for hiring managers that made them back out of hiring a potential winner. </p> <h2>Dressing too casually</h2> <p>Redditor <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/bfw72y/redditors_in_hiring_positions_what_small_things/elhdl5y/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">u/I_believe_nothing</a> hires for a pretty much entry-level position and as such, is not expecting applicants to come in bespoke business suits. What he does expect is some basic standards in terms of presenting yourself. Try not to come in t-shirts, and worse, shirts that look like they have not even remotely had the pleasure of being introduced to an iron. Do wear clean, pressed clothes; and don’t forget to take care of your personal hygiene when coming in for an interview.</p> <h2>Expecting the job to be easy</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_232921606-1024x684.jpg" alt="Hiring Common Mistakes" class="wp-image-10185" title="Hiring Common Mistakes" srcset="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_232921606-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_232921606-300x200.jpg 300w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_232921606-768x513.jpg 768w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_232921606-1200x802.jpg 1200w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/AdobeStock_232921606.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Nobody sits like this at an office. Ever.</figcaption></figure> <p>Even if you are the candidate most suited for the job and you feel like you can do it with your eyes closed, don’t be too smug. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/bfw72y/redditors_in_hiring_positions_what_small_things/elhcof2?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">u/Deingel</a> had a funny anecdote where there was a candidate that had a very impressive resumé who wanted a job position that was a level better than the one he was offered. The candidate felt like the interviewers were so impressed by his credentials that he deserved more. When pressed for a reason why he wanted that position, he said that it looked like a job where you could sit in the office all day and play games on your phone. Yup, he didn’t get hired.</p> <h2>Don’t Google answers during interviews</h2> <p>If you think that you can get away with Googling answers during phone or Skype interviews, think again. That 10-15 second delay before you answer a question is very telling, as is the clack of the keyboard. Some applicants also think that having a friend dictate their answer is a good thing &#8211; it’s not. Phone or headphone mics do pick up background noise, and you conferring with a friend can be heard. </p> <h2>Know what you put on your resumé</h2> <p>If it’s on your <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/member/resources/update-resume" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resumé</a>, expect questions about it. For example, don’t put in that you’re an Advanced Excel user and that you know how to use <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/bfw72y/redditors_in_hiring_positions_what_small_things/elh6pua?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pivot tables</a> if, in reality, you don&#8217;t have a clue. You may get asked to cite an example of where and how you used one. And if you give a blank stare, don’t expect to get hired. Don’t put anything false in your resumé &#8211; like extending your employment tenure or getting creative with your education history. Do get a <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/trueproof" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TrueProof</a> for your credentials to get that instant trust that your documents are the real deal.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="455" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot-2020-02-27-at-16.02.07-1-1024x455-1.png" alt="Hiring Common Mistakes" class="wp-image-10187" title="Hiring Common Mistakes" srcset="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot-2020-02-27-at-16.02.07-1-1024x455-1.png 1024w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot-2020-02-27-at-16.02.07-1-1024x455-1-300x133.png 300w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot-2020-02-27-at-16.02.07-1-1024x455-1-768x341.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div> <h2>Going in knowing it all</h2> <p>When I was a new graduate, my head was full of ideas about how I was going to change the world. Some of my classmates also had it in their head that an industry leader or some such was doing it wrong and that we knew better because we were young and full of spit. A month or so of fruitless interviews and we were wondering what we were doing wrong. It was our attitude. As <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/bfw72y/redditors_in_hiring_positions_what_small_things/elgubss?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">u/Imawildedible</a> said, “There’s a difference between making sure we’re on the same page and trying to prove you know more than the guy you’re trying to get the job from.” </p> <h2>Manners maketh a man</h2> <p>Being polite and nice goes a long way. It shows that you will be a pleasure to work with. You might have the right skills and knowledge, but if you make each day miserable, you won’t be a great contribution to the company. </p> <p class="has-small-font-size">Want more tips on getting your dream job? 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