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Home > Archive > Apr 10, 2008

The Best of the Worst
By Mac Mcgee
After 10+ years assisting people with their employment efforts, I’d have to say – ‘wisdom went out the door’ when I hear of some of the off-the-wall things people have done when looking for employment.
I always try to remain upbeat in my stories, as well as the advice or direction I give. This is so each person can take away positive, useful information and direction. However, some situations require more tact and imagination to get to that point then others.
These are actual cases of interviews with those seeking employment I have encountered. Though they may seem humorous at first, it has became evident to me that many people experience the same problems, quirks and lack of knowledge in seeking employment, though perhaps not as severe as these cases.  So here is a compendium of the best of the worst things to do in a job interview.

The Bad
Many people present themselves as being above needing assistance. Even though they were the one’s who had contacted me because they couldn’t find employment on their own. In one of these ‘confident approaches’ a man told me of his last interview, in which he stated he...“was so over-qualified, that if I (he) didn’t get the job, it would mean the company’s management was incompetent.”
In another case, a woman was so shook-up over a ‘mock’ interview, she continued to giggle nervously throughout it. Every 3-5 minutes, she apologized for her outbursts, even though they continued to happen all the way through the interview.
Another mature woman felt it was appropriate to bring her lap dog not only to my office, but also to her last 2 interviews. The dog made his presence known by quietly growling at me every few minutes.
One man dozed off during the interview process. He woke himself up by snoring. Then he suggested he had been working too hard trying to find a job.
A senior gentleman wanted to prove to me that he was still in great health, by offering to arm-wrestle me. He had made the same offer to his last three interviewers as well.
I have witnessed resumes with a photograph of the person seeking work on them. I have also seen illustrations, graphics, flower boarders and smiley faces.
Humor knows no bounds when it comes to resumes that reflect personal interests. While personal interests do not belong on a resume (unless applying for a civic, banking or community service position), I have enjoyed reading the array of interests from “bungee jumping” to “baking cookies with my grandchildren”. A great attribute for family life, but a bad scenario when trying to avoid age discrimination.
My absolute favorite was the man in his mid-fifties who mentioned his “life-long goal of becoming a drummer in a rock-n-roll band.” He was applying for an engineering management position.

The Absurd
One cannot mention the absurd without noting the e-mail addresses that people utilize. E-mail contact for job seeking should be reflective of either your name or occupation. The following e-mails (here minus the domain name) are not viewed positively by employers:  Sexydork, Jedimaster, Sweetprincess, spankme, Superman1, Vanhalenfan, Golfwhiz, startrek2, computergeek and many others, some too graphic to list in this article.
You would think that the majority of these errors in judgment would be attributed to the youth. More often, it is the adult that does not realize every aspect of the resume is reflective of them.

Final Thoughts
While I have pointed out some of the humorous sides to seeking employment, if you are the perpetrator of these actions, or similar hi-jinks, please take heed and discontinue your deeds.
To the person who brings me that nine-page resume, on pink colored paper, with a perfumed scent, as in the movie “Legally Blond,” because it gives it that ‘extra kick,’ this article is dedicated to you.
Mac McGee is an accomplished business owner and published author of self-help employment books, articles and training videos. He has assisted the state employment development department in making presentations about networking and job searching. He has helped thousands of people find full-time permanent employment, personally constructing more than 1,000 resumes. His advice to start-up and existing businesses has produced hundreds of opportunities for business owners. He can be reached at employmentmaster@aol.com.

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