The economic crisis is making executive job seekers a little crazy.
According to a survey of 500 executive recruiters commissioned by TheLadders.com, a job search site for people who earn more than $100,000, senior-level applicants are preparing poorly for interviews, putting together weak resumes and appearing too desperate to take any job that comes their way.
"When the search goes on for month after month, more problems occur that might not have happened when the search started," says New York career coach Eileen Wolkstein. "That includes lack of stamina when it gets hard, getting tired of the process when it gets long, and discouragement after numerous rejections or no responses."
In Pictures: Executive Job Seekers' Biggest Mistakes
Along with discouragement comes desperation. Excessive aggression was rated the fourth most common mistake by the survey. According to one employer (who declined to give her name so as not to embarrass the applicant), one desperate candidate sent repeated e-mails, reminding the potential employer that that she had not yet contacted the applicant's references. Next, she had one of the references get in touch directly with the employer. Then, when the employer told the applicant she hadn't gotten the job, the applicant sent yet another e-mail begging the employer to reconsider. "Tenacity is one thing," says this employer. "She was so aggressive it totally turned us off."
Desperation can also ruin a job interview, says Scott Robinson, managing partner at executive search and outplacement firm Kensington International in Chicago. Candidates who have been searching for an extended period answer every question as thought it's their last chance to make their case. One of the candidates Robinson worked with recently had been on the job hunt for more than a year. He wound up blowing the interview for a $450,000-a-year job by talking too much. "He tried too hard to sell himself," says Robinson. "He was perceived as someone without good listening skills."
Robinson advises candidates to spend no more than 60 seconds answering each question. If the interviewer wants more information, he'll ask.
Another common interview pitfall by anxious job-seekers, says Robinson, is going into the session with a checklist of questions for the potential employer, and then not paying close enough attention as the session proceeds. At the end, when interviewers often ask the interviewee if they have questions, "the applicant goes back to his list, when half of the questions have already been discussed," observes Robinson, thus raising a red flag alerting the interviewer that the applicant is a poor listener. "Weak leaders do all the talking," says Robinson.
An example of discouragement foiling a networking opportunity: Susan Weil, a New York career transition coach, recalls one client, who was an unemployed banker, finding himself in a social situation with people from his field. When asked what he had been doing lately, he answered, "I've been up to nothing."
Instead, says Weil, he should have talked about his previous achievements and emphasized his interest in moving forward in the corporate world. "You have to be non-apologetic," she says.
There are ways to combat the pitfalls associated with a long-term search. Keep in mind that employers are rarely interested in hiring a qualified person for a lesser job, says career coach Wolkstein; don't try for a position that's way below your level. "The employer's attitude is, when the market opens up, you'll be out of there," says Wolkstein. Be assertive, focused and determined in your search, she advises, but know the line between assertive and aggressive. For instance, if you ask someone to recommend you for a position, it makes sense to have the person make one call on your behalf. "But don't have that person call seven people," says Wolkstein. "That's aggressive."
Even when you're worn down from a long search, don't forget to follow up with a thoughtful thank-you after an interview. Wolkstein advises sending both an e-mail and a written thank you note via snail mail to each person who takes the time to interview you. Also, if three people interview you, don’t send the exact same thank-you note to all three. Take the time to personalize each thank you.
It's not easy, but job seekers have to keep their wits about them. "I tell people, in this market, you may have to talk to 150 people before you get a job," says Wolkstein. "It may take you nine months. But you can't afford to be impatient."
