Desperate Times Don't Call For Desperate Measures

Desperate Times Don't Call For Desperate Measures

Published on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 08:58

	By Mark Stephens Follow @MStephens21

Are you giving potential employers the impression that you’re desperate to find a new job?

You want to come across as keen and hungry for the job, but your potential employer may see your eagerness a little differently.

Well, appearing as though you are desperate (especially if you really are desperate) is the quickest way to turn off most employers and will also put recruiters off from helping you find a good job too.

You might not realise it, but hirers can smell desperation a mile away and will run a mile once they pick up the scent of desperate measures.

So why do employers find desperation so distasteful and off putting?

Remember that employers see an average of more than 100 applicants for each job, so they have a wide range of candidates to choose from and they tend to want what they can’t have. Employers are far more likely to want a candidate who is in high demand over a candidate who is desperate for a job (there is the exception: some employers are actively looking to exploit workers who will accept below-market wages due to desperation).

Obviously you don’t intend to appear desperate. But many commonly used job search tactics brand you in this way and you probably don’t even realise it.

Some of the most common mistakes that I see and hear about include:

Emailing your CV to everyone on your contact list. 
Emailing your CV to everyone you know makes you look desperate even to those within your inner circle. Even worse, due to internal referral bonus programs, nearly all CVs you send to your contact list (that are employed at the same company) will end up in the same place as if you applied directly through HR via the companies online website / careers page.

Creating a CV that says you can do anything. 
CVs that tell the hirer that you can do anything are just not effective. While these types of resumes had limited effectiveness during candidate shortages, they are no longer effective as applicant tracking and search technology increase the hirer's ability to micro-target skill sets. The golden rule is to always tailor your CV application as close to the essential requirements of the job that you are applying for as you can. If you are making a speculative application, then focus on your primary skill sets.

Branding yourself as a commodity.
Most CVs I see brand you as a commodity; i.e. someone who is merely qualified to do the job (along with hundreds of other applicants who are also qualified). When you have hundreds of competitors on average for each job, being qualified isn’t enough. Worse, when employers decide between many candidates who all look the same (like commodities) they can tend to focus on the less important things that create differences as reasons to disqualify qualified candidates. 

Use your CV, your LinkedIn profile, your online presence and what you say all create your personal brand. When you manage your personal brand well, you create a first impression that helps your job search. Use this to market yourself as a person, not a commodity.

Adopting the attitude “I’ll do anything, just give me a chance”. 
Few things scream desperation more than taking this approach. It shows desperation because it’s a desperate belief at its core. Exception: If you’re still in school and are looking for your first part time job, this can be ok, because you really don’t know how you can help solve employer problems yet.

Focusing on all the things you “could do” instead of what you do better than anyone else. 
There are many things you could do, but your next employer really doesn’t care about all hundreds of things you could do. They only care about the one or two things you do better than anyone else. Talking about all the things you could do makes you look like you’re willing to do anything and therefore desperate.

Call back/email to check on your status or “just to follow up”. 
What a great way to waste a hiring manager’s/recruiter’s/HR rep’s time, because you aren’t adding any value to them with your status call or email. If they are interested, they’ll call – otherwise, expect a don’t call us, we’ll call you attitude. When you attempt follow-up, you risk looking desperate. Even worse, when you attempt multiple follow-up calls, you look like a crazy stalker. That is not to say that it should not be done at all. One courtesy phone call or email to confirm that your application was received and to establish time frames, whether this is with an employer or a recruiter is acceptable. If you are making a speculative application directly to a hiring manager, then a follow up call is advised and I would even suggest trying to get a face to face appointment during that call. However, once your application has been rejected or you have been told that they will call you back, refrain from further pursuance if you want to avoid being earmarked as a nuisance applicant.

Applying to multiple jobs at the same company. 
Just because you are qualified for multiple jobs at the same company, doesn’t mean you should apply to all of them unless you want to look desperate. Instead, apply to the one (or two max) where you can make the case that you are the superior candidate, and instead, add a cover note in the email indicating the other jobs that you have noted. This will place the responsibility with the recipient of your application to decide whether to submit you to those other positions, which are likely to have the same manager vetting CV’s anyway.

I hope that some of these tips will help you to avoid making the basic mistakes that many applicants make. Good luck with your job hunting.