Job-hunting? Know these interview red flags

 

Starting over in your career is never easy, even when you’re experienced and confident--and with all the online tips to prepare you to be a prospective employer’s top interviewee, you’ll not find a single resource to show you what to watch out for from the interviewers. 

Open your home page and you’ll see daily the latest ideas on how to market yourself. Some are reliable classics, such as dressing for the job you want, keeping eye contact, confident body language and the like. Others are more subjective--don’t wear cologne, avoid “over-smiling,” don’t tell a joke just because you think it’s funny and relieves your tension. Then there are those that come with technology. If you’re submitting an online resume or intro letter, one site advises, never use expressions like “if U hire me, U will not regret it.” Silence your cell phone, or better yet, lock it safely out of sight before leaving your car. Don’t follow up a first interview with an effusive e-mail. Send a personal note of thanks instead.

It’s not that the jobs aren’t out there. A recent look at several popular job-posting sites revealed from 200-350 openings in a single generalized category. But when you click on that promising post, remember that there could be hundreds, even thousands of other hopefuls doing the same.

If you’re doing everything you know to be ready for that first meeting with the person who may hire you, it’s also in your best interest to know when to smile and politely walk out, to decline the offer, or to sense when someone is wasting your time. Following are a few tips you won’t find on those well-meaning sites, gathered from the experiences of job-seekers themselves.

• Beware the late interviewer. You were on time--why not expect the same? If you’re kept waiting half an hour past your scheduled appointment time and the building wasn’t on fire, it could be an indication that you’re not being taken seriously.
• Does your interviewer seem unprepared? Watch for vague questions put to you, asking which job you were applying for originally, or (yes, it really happens) being asked if you were looking for full or part time--even after submitting all the required information, a resume and intro letter in advance. This is more likely to happen when everything from the pre-screen to the appointment is done electronically.
• Listen for what’s really being said if you hear the dreaded word “overqualified.” This could be a sign that either the job being offered is not one the company is very proud of, or that the person looking at your resume is afraid you may be talented enough to bump them from their position once hired.
• Subtle forms of discrimination are still out there, especially if you’re in your forties and fifties and starting your career over. It’s not ethical, but it happens. If you’re a seasoned employee trying to get back in the market, give yourself credit for your experience even when someone else does not. Don’t put up with it--go on to the next opportunity and know that it’s their loss.
• This one should be obvious, but always look for a clear and concise non-discrimination policy, both in hiring and once hired. If you don’t see everything that should be there, from “respecting diversity” and “zero tolerance for harassment,” to “no discrimination based on race, religion, culture, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation,” etc., don’t be afraid to ask why it isn’t spelled out.
• Don’t allow yourself to be so desperate that you take what’s being offered, even though (this happens too) the interviewer states that the job doesn’t really seem like a fit, but there is something else available. It’s probably going to be way off the mark, and they’re counting on the fact that it’s an employer’s market.

 www.worksmart.ca.gov/tips_interview.html

www.diversityinc.com