NotJobs: 6 Reasons You Failed the Phone Interview

Alison Green blogs at Ask a Manager, and writes as an outside voice for US News & World Report. Her recent article about phone interviews details six ways how not to get a job:

6 Reasons You Failed the Phone Interview

Alison Green

Here are some ways to quickly fail the phone interview:

1. Not displaying a grasp of what the job is all about.
2. Not asking any questions.
3. Not paying attention to tone of voice.
4. Having an overly casual manner.
5. Giving longwinded answers.
6. Missing the call.

Ms. Green has some good advice, so go see the full article. Let me add one of my own:

7. Using a Cheesy Cell Phone. Nothing enhances your interview image like a partial connection that hisses, pops and drops every third syllable. My advice is to double-check your cover, and plan to use a land-line where ever possible. Oh – and just because you can do a phone interview while walking down a busy urban street doesn’t mean you should. The honking and traffic noises will interfere with your interview.

[Yes, this has actually happened. A sales candidate did this during an interview a few years back. He tried to do have the interview standing next to a bus, and the exhaust noise drowned out his voice. He didn't get the job.]

Tips: What to do about Job Burnout

Over on the CNN site, author Anthony Balderrama gives a few examples of what to do about job burnout. These are some of the signs that your job is getting to you:

If you’re not sure whether you’re just having a bad day or are experiencing something worse, here are some signs that you’re burning out, according to Dewett:

• Your professional relationships don’t matter anymore
• The quality of your work isn’t want it used to be
  
• You’re no longer goal-oriented

Good things to watch out for.

NotJobs: Too Much Information

Last month, a woman code named “The Recruiter” started documenting some of the more interesting ways she’s seen people talk themselves out of getting hired. Her blog is called “How Not to Get a Job“. The story she published on 20 August documents an experience that many of us in the headhunting trade experience with Too Much Information. Here are the details of a candidate’s response when asked Standard Interview Question #2, “So, why did you leave your previous position?”:

He once again stopped taking his meds and one fateful day The Director announced a new buying process was going into place with a new software package. Joe took this personally, although the package was designed to make everyone’s job easier, Joe in his altered mental state threatened to get his twelve-gauge and blow The Director away (talk about shooting the messenger.)

Now the story is horrific, but what came after the story was worse. Some of you might be sympathizing with poor Joe right now, but you have to understand, he told this story, and then tried to say that ABC company fired him without cause. I remember the last line specifically, “It’s not like I could actually shoot him, the police had already taken all of my guns.”

Her experience is (unfortunately) common, and her advice is levelheaded. Don’t share too much information.

PS. Note to “The Recruiter”: Welcome to the blogosphere!