career-limiting moves

[shootingstar]

or things in a resume that get you automatically rejected by HR:

And the HR managers recalled some memorable gaffes that immediately disqualified applicants. Among them:

•A candidate who said the more he was paid, the harder he would work.
•An applicant who was fired from several jobs but included each one as a reference.
•A job seeker who listed her dog as a reference.
•A hopeful candidate who listed the ability to do the moonwalk as a “special skill.”
•Co-applicants – a husband and wife looking to job share – who submitted a co-written poem.
•An applicant who listed “versatile toes” as a job skill.
•A candidate who applied using only his first name.
•A job history which included the fact that the applicant was arrested for assaulting his previous boss.
•A proofreading-impaired applicant who submitted this declaration: “I would be a good *** to the company.”

From a news article today: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle2152300/

Personal experiences I've had when interviewing/screening applicants:

*a woman who brought in her 4-yr. old daughter. She couldn't afford daycare/babysitter. It was a difficult interview because daughter kept going to her mother. HR manager, a great and warm person whom I respected, smiled stiffly yet sympathetically. (she herself had 2 grown children and raised them as a single mom). We didn't hire the person.

*an applicant screened by HR, before me (thankfully) showed up at the interview in shorts (this is a global financial services firm. The job was working in a corporate library for lawyers and accountants.)

*an applicant for an interview, who scrolled into the room and declared. "I've heard all about you, "shootingstar". Great. Wonder what she heard. I never met this person before.

I also heard directly from work colleagues:
*someone threw up in HR office
*a guy brought in his mother to the interview

[jessmarimba]

The last place I applied, my soon-to-be supervisor showed up in flip-flops (like, the $2 rubber wal-mart kind) and they brought the wrong resume to the interview. My now VP looks down at the paper, looks at me, says "You're not Craig?"

Then they sat on the fence about hiring me for, oh, 6 weeks or so.

All is well now, but that was the oddest interview I've ever done.

[Antaresia]

We once received a resume by fax. This special snowflake decided to send us the document on BLACK paper with WHITE words. Used up a ton of fax toner and we couldn't read a word.

[TsPoet]

My Dad was a VP at Sambo's, no idea what he did really, but most don't know what Sambo]s was anymore so that's OK.
He got a resume for a $75k/yr job (40 years ago) on a T-shirt. He threw it away, disgusted. A few years later he was at a business meeting with VPs from Big Boy's and was talking with a guy who got hired after submitting his resume on a T-shirt.
So, sometimes stupid stuff works, if the right person is doing the hiring.

[NbyNW]

Shootingstar,

I'm confused as to whether your original post was meant to be cautionary or funny, or for some other purpose.

If you meant it as a bunch of cautionary tales, well -- I hope you think better of your fellow TE'ers.

If you meant to put those anecdotes up for a laugh, well -- my reaction was to think that it's tragic that these people don't have better support, honesty, advice and couseling from their peers and mentors as they try to find a place for themselves in the world of work.

These days all you need to be screened out by HR is to be unemployed for a period of time. Doesn't matter how good your credentials and experience are.

[smilingcat]

These days all you need to be screened out by HR is to be unemployed for a period of time. Doesn't matter how good your credentials and experience are.

This mentality is just beyond me. I am more than acutely aware of the "damaged good" attitude toward the unemployed. However, if I were the hiring manager, I would be more than eager to hire the 99ers. The reason behind is quite simple. They are GLAD they got a job and you know what? They are going to be the best employees an employer could have. Being unemployed for a time is the greatest motivator for them to work hard and be the best possible. They don't want to be let go/fired the next time around.

I for one, am retired at a very young age. early 50's. Retired yes; but, I'm not idling. Quite busy in fact.

I get so annoyed by hiring managers with all their silly hangups. The resume isn't the format they want to see. mono fonts instead of Times Roman. Wrong size margin. Did/didn't have some personal info. More than a page long or two pages. Didn't list out all the publications... I've heard lots of stupid reasons which could cause you to pass on a really good (worthwhile) person for the organization. One of the biggest peeves I have, is I don't want to hire that person because of bad grammar. Engineers on the whole are really bad with comma splice. If I were looking for an English major that is one thing. But for an engineer, I'm more concerned about do they have enough/right knowledge and experience for the job. I don't care if they have written a best seller, have tatoos or body piercing.

Just don't lie and make stuff up on the application. Seen several resume with falsified information about college degrees. I'll give you a chance to explain.

[shootingstar]

Shootingstar,

I'm confused as to whether your original post was meant to be cautionary or funny, or for some other purpose.

If you meant it as a bunch of cautionary tales, well -- I hope you think better of your fellow TE'ers.

If you meant to put those anecdotes up for a laugh, well -- my reaction was to think that it's tragic that these people don't have better support, honesty, advice and couseling from their peers and mentors as they try to find a place for themselves in the world of work.

These days all you need to be screened out by HR is to be unemployed for a period of time. Doesn't matter how good your credentials and experience are.

It seems to me, that several of my recent posts are being misinterpreted(?).

I was quoting from a news article that someone else wrote...which was cautionary. Of course, the journalist wrote in an eye-catching way to grab the reader.

What did I do wrong now?

As for personal experiences/stories from the hiring side, yes, cautionary in a sad-funny way. Also to illustrate how unexpected /unpredictable people can be ..when they really need something.

I've been there, NBYNW...unemployed for 18 months.
Yes, employers get curious if one is merely unemployed at mid-life.

Elsewhere a few months ago, I mentioned that the Canadian federal govn't does offer in the major cities some free support programs which are quite helpful and run over a period of several hrs. per wk. for several wks.

The counsellors are terrific and they themselves, have done some major career-changing moves.
I don't know what the U.S. offers. No doubt it may differ per state/region.


TSPoet, true it depends who is assessing the candidate and timing. The division where I work now, over 4 months was spent trying to find a geospatial technician that met our division's needs and..team fit. They did find a good person who never applied in the first round of recruitment.

It is true, being there at a good time and place does coalesce at times in a small miracle, into a good hire ..that makes everyone satisfied.

The most surprising thing I have found, is that I have met people in the present organization like myself, who had established careers elsewhere for 15-25 yrs., but decided to switch to govn't and got hired. There ARE places that value strong experience in different types of organizations and industries. They just don't want recent graduates, they also need the stability of older workers who won't suddenly leave for career climbing purposes, etc.