As you make headway along your career path, one surefire way to smudge your good name is by getting blacklisted from jobs. Now, there are plenty of good reasons why candidates don’t get a job—maybe your skills aren’t right for the gig or maybe you just don’t have enough experience yet.
But being blacklisted is a whole other story. This happens when you make a pretty serious error in judgment that gives a hiring manager or recruiter a good reason to take you out of the running. If that happens, you can kiss your chances of nabbing job offers at those companies goodbye.
Study these five common missteps that can get you blacklisted from jobs—and then avoid them.
Bombarding a company with job applications
No matter how eager you are to work at a particular company, applying for every open position there isn’t going to go over well internally.
“If you’ve applied to a dozen jobs at the same company, it’s a red flag right away that you’re not focused,” warns Monster career expert Vicki Salemi. “From a job seeker’s perspective, you might think submitting a lot of applications increases your job prospects, but it can have the opposite effect.”
Don’t look clueless; your best approach it to practice discretion when applying. “Keep your online submissions to no more than three closely related positions,” advises Kenneth L. Johnson, president of recruiting firm East Coast Executives.
Nagging the hiring manager
There’s a limit to how many times you should follow up with a hiring manager after a job interview. Check in too frequently and you risk becoming a nuisance; but, if you don’t check in at all, you could slip off an employer’s radar. As Salemi puts it: “It’s a fine dance between following up with a hiring manager to stay top of mind and being a stalker, where you’re emailing the person every single day.”
Striking the right balance is crucial. Stephanie Waite, senior associate director at Yale’s Office of Career Strategy, recommends job seekers send a thank-you email within 24 hours after the interview and then waiting 10 business days to circle back on the status of their job application. And when you check in, offer something of value to the interviewer: “Thank you again for your time last week. I just want to follow up to see if there’s any additional information I can provide for you.”
Forgetting your manners
There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. If your cover letter is one brag after another, or if your interview consists mainly of you telling everyone what a genius you are, good luck getting called back. A little humility goes a long way.
Furthermore, be gracious. Don’t interrupt whoever is speaking, and express your gratitude. That thank-you note you sent the hiring manager? If you met with multiple people at the company, it shouldn’t be the only email you send.
Take the time to write each person who interviewed you an individual thank-you letter. These letters should be personalized to reflect the conversations that you had with each interviewer, says business-etiquette speaker Patricia Rossi.
Appearing desperate during a job interview
If you hate your job or have been unemployed for a while, you may be feeling desperate to get a job offer—any job offer—but, letting that feeling show can be detrimental. “If you have desperate [written] on your forehead during the interview, you might as well stay home,” says Jennifer Anderson, a career coach in Salt Lake City. That’s like going on a date with someone and admitting you’re happy to be going out with anyone. Way to make your date feel special!
Moreover, don’t excessively praise a job interviewer. Express your gratefulness for the interview and admiration for the company, but don’t overdo it. No manager wants to hire a desperate person to join their team.
Being dishonest
A surefire way to get blacklisted from jobs is by exaggerating your work history or hiding any unfavorable information about your past. You may be tempted to conceal things that have the potential to paint you in a negative light, but the old adage is true: Honesty is the best policy.
Fact is, most companies run background checks, so the truth will eventually come out. Tempted to lie on your resume? Resist that urge. You’re only going to be good at a job you’re capable of doing. That can’t be faked. Have a criminal record? Be forthcoming about your past. According to a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Charles Koch Institute, nearly half of HR professionals do not feel strongly that criminal history is a deciding factor in hiring, and about two-thirds said their company has experience hiring individuals with criminal records.
Put yourself in a positive light
You want to do everything you can to put yourself at an advantage during a job search, but it can be hard to know what’s going to make a hiring manager shudder. You may think you’re being enthusiastic when, in fact, you’re just being a nuisance. Could you use some tips to smooth out any wrinkles? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you’ll get interview insights, career advice, and job search tips sent directly to your inbox. From knowing how your resume should look to understanding how to negotiate an offer, let Monster’s experts guide you along the way to a great job.
