Over the years, there have been many surveys conducted by search and placement firms about the things job seekers dislike. Nothing much has changed in the past 20 to 30 years. These five things are still at the top of the list and are the source of extreme irritation. Keep these things in mind if you are searching for a job and don’t let them cause your blood pressure to rise.
1. Fear of Rejection
The number one thing that worries a job seeker the most is the fear of not getting a job. Add to this fear, worry and concern about the job search process along with meeting prospective employers’ requirements, and the result is a recipe for rejection.
2. Interviews
Interviewing for a job is one of the top job search stressors, and unprepared or condescending interviewers can get under the skin—especially since the average job seeker spends a great deal of upfront time getting ready for the interview and managing a well-planned search. Interviewers, who spend precious interview time talking AT the candidate instead of actively listening FOR ability, competence and job fit, do themselves as well as their companies a great disservice.
3. Search Firms
Aggressive or insensitive head-hunters can leave a bad taste in a job seeker’s mouth. Even though many firms are quite adept at building relationships with both the hiring manager and the candidate, the search industry as a whole has a tarnished reputation for placing people at any cost and bullying candidates into accepting jobs that do not match their skills or those they don’t like-just to get a fee.
4. Human Resources
Many job seekers view the HR function as a gatekeeper whose sole duty is to screen them out, and with the use of staffing software, the screening process is left to a computer that shuts the door before ever the candidate has a chance to “sell” himself.
5. Unreasonable Delays
Depending on where the job seeker is in the search process, this item can test the nerves. Just recently, a job seeker complained to me that he has been waiting for two months to know his status. He has been through two interviews and was told a decision would be made within the week. 90 days later he is still waiting. Question is, should he give up and start looking again?
Writing this may be a bit like opening up Pandora’s Box or pouring salt into a wound; but we’ve all been there and can feel the pain. What are your top job search dislikes and irritations? Let me know so I can publish them here.
[...] Christian Career Tools created an interesting post today on 5 Things that Irritate Job SeekersHere’s a short outlineMajor Sources of Annoyance for Job Seekers Over the years, there have been many surveys conducted by search and placement firms about the things job seekers dislike. Nothing much has changed in the past 20 to 30 years. These five things are still at the top of the list and are the source of extreme irritation. [...] [...]