How Not to Get a Job as a First Round NFL Draft Pick
CareerBuilder asked hiring managers about frequent mistakes that will destroy a candidate’s chance at employment, and 60% cited answering a call or texting during an interview as one of the biggest deal breakers. Sixty-two percent said one of the most detrimental mistakes a candidate can make is appearing uninterested.
— Forbes: The 13 Most Outrageous Job Interview Mistakes
Eugene Cyril “Geno” Smith III had leveraged his experience with the West Virginia Mountaineers football team into a shot as a first round pick in the 2013 National Football League Draft. However, Geno Smith did not get picked in the first round. During his visits to potential employers, he ensured that he would not get the job.
Much of the pre-draft buzz was around how Smith would be the first quarterback taken in the first round. Smith was drafted in the second round by the New York Jets, the 39th pick overall. The first quarterback in the draft was E.J. Manuel, taken 23 picks earlier by the Buffalo Bills as the 16th pick in Round 1.
On YahooSports, Jason Cole describes what might have changed the front office’s perceptions of Smith:
Two sources indicated that when Smith went on some visits to teams, rather than interact with coaches and front-office people, he would spend much of his time on his cell phone. Instead of being engaged with team officials, he would be texting friends or reading Twitter or a number of other distracting activities.
“All these other players who were in there were talking to the coaches, trying to get to know people and he was over there by himself,” one of the sources said. “That’s not what you want out of your quarterback.”
One must wonder if any text message is worth losing a millions of dollars to read. First round picks get salary/bonus contacts that average around $12M. Contracts for second round picks average between $2M and $800K.
Smith is a member of the Millennial generation – the most technologically connected generation on Earth. However, both Careerbuilder and Jason Cole show us that some Millennials have trouble knowing when to connect through social media, and knowing when to focus on the real live people in the room.
Is it smart to let your smart phone cost you the job?
NotJobs: Repetition as the Root of Insanity
A little bit of advice for the applicants who continue to submit the same resume/cover letter/application to the same company time after time after time.
If it didn’t get you an interview last time, what makes you think that it will get you an interview this time?
This type of job search action usually indicates a desperate but lazy job seeker. “Desperate” because they are obviously making an effort to find different employment. “Lazy” because it looks like they can’t be bothered to take even a few minutes to update the information they submit.
Perhaps the good Doctor said it best:
The tips and take-aways are, “Always update your personal information , resume and other job search weapons, before submitting to a job opening.”
NotJobs: When you make an unforgetable first impression
Yes – I know recruiters who have had to get restraining orders on candidates.
How Not To Get A New Job In 2013: An 8-Step Plan
Susan Strayer LaMotte, SPHR is a consultant, recruiter, career coach, branding expert and the founder of exaqueo. She authored a good article that ran in Forbes a few months back. In How Not To Get A New Job In 2013: An 8-Step Plan, LaMotte
Every year in January I hear from hundreds of people ready to start a job search. They really want a new job. They’re eager to get started. And slowly but surely, they fail. It’s not a lack of talent, experience or desire. They’re just doing it wrong.
Yep. They’re doing it wrong. LaMotte provides some specific details on her 8-Step plan for avoiding employment:
How Not To Get A New Job In 2013: An 8-Step Plan
Are you ready for a new job? Here’s how not to be successful — guaranteed:
- Lack self-awareness and confidence.
- Don’t tell anyone.
- Cold-apply to as many jobs as possible.
- Let your resume speak for itself.
- Be inflexible.
- Ignore recruiters.
- Don’t ask for any help.
- Say “I got this.”
Many of these will be familiar to the regular readers of this blog. LaMotte does a great job of summarizing the common mistakes and common attitudes that ensure continued unemployment.
LaMotte’s full article deserves your full attention. See it here:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2013/01/25/how-not-to-get-a-new-job-in-2013-an-8-step-plan/
Infographic: Why resumes are rejected
Courtesy of The Recruiter’s Lounge, some highly confidential information insight into the resume review process:
Your Background Check
A professional can’t really say this…
See http://www.someecards.com/ to make one for yourself.
