Why good manners count in your job search

I’ve been seeing a stream of tweets from recruiters and graduate employers over the last few days, all complaining that graduates just don’t appear serious in their job search.

Here are some typical gripes:

- not showing up to an interview
- not giving an excuse or apology for the no-show
- not asking to reschedule
- not respecting the interviewer’s time

There’s even an anecdote from Cathy Richardson that illustrates the problem.

What recruiters and employers alike can’t understand, is that given the scarcity of opportunities, why are some job seekers (not necessarily graduates by the way) not enthusiastic enough to take the application process seriously and respect other people’s time?

Judging by the amount of stories now circulating about poor manners, one way to stand out from the crowd of other job seekers is to behave impeccably throughout the whole process.

Because people will feel well-disposed towards you if you’re polite and personable.

Don’t be late
Get your applications in before the deadline. Always be on time for an in-person or phone interview. Otherwise your interviewer will think you have a similarly casual attitude to working hours.

Give plenty of notice if you need to reschedule
If you’re on the short-list, most companies or recruiters will be happy to oblige requests to reschedule if something serious comes up. Give as much notice as you can and apologise for the inconvenience.

Keep people informed
If you’ve changed your mind and are no longer interested in the job, let the company or recruiter know. They might be able to give your interviewing slot to another applicant.

Likewise, if you’re applying to, say, two companies, and accept an offer from one of them, let the other company know. It allows them to move on with their hiring process.

Photo credit: Nicolasnova