job hunting – Playground of Randomness

It’s the most awful time of the year (Sorry, not a fan of January. It is the Monday of the year) and for those who are unemployed or actively looking for a job, January could be the start of a year that brings with it a brand-new career.

But are you really ready? Before you start sending out applications, here are a few things to check.

1. How are your Google results looking?

Before applying for a job, Google your full name and see what comes up. It is also a good idea to Google your full name and your title. You never know what you might find and it helps if you are aware of exactly what pops up when you’re Google’d. For me, I have never found anything besides my social media profiles but I do have an issue where family and friends keep finding me and my blog on Google. Yes I want readers but not people who know me. That just feels weird. Google yourself on your browser and even a friend or family member’s just to ensure that there are no nasty surprises if prospective employers decide to do the same (Trust me, this is a thing).

2. Are your social media profiles okay?

Similar to Google, your social media profiles can tell A LOT about you. Be sure to go through all of your accounts and make sure there is nothing inappropriate such as pictures of you getting drunk/high or wearing something unprofessional. Yes, animal onesies are adorable but is that picture something you want your future employer and co-workers to see? This would also be a good time to set your profiles on private.

3. Are all your documents updated?

This one…is pretty obvious. But do check to ensure that you have the latest copy of your resume. Back when our company was hiring for a Marketing Intern, I was horrified when my former manager told me that one of the staff didn’t update their resume with their latest role (i.e the current role that they were occupying in the company at that time) and Recruitment emailed them back to decline their application. This is a tiny error and it upset me that something so minor cost her.

4. Do you have a cover letter?

Yes, cover letters are not mandatory for all applications. But it feels so good when you can explain to the company more about you and why they should hire you. Try to have a cover letter tailored to each of the jobs you apply for. Hack- have a cover letter template for each industry you are applying in and then simply edit your cover letter for each application.

5. How is your elevator pitch?

“Tell me about yourself” is the ABSOLUTE worse interview question ever. And yet every time it feels like you do not know who you are. Prepare yourself for this by coming up with an elevator pitch- a one or two minute speech about who you are, what your background is (again this is to show why you are the best candidate so make sure you focus on skills you have that will be an asset in your prospective new role) and what you are looking for in a job.

Working on an elevator pitch for yourself is also great for when you start a new job and need to introduce yourself to others.

I always say that while I still work in a call center, the Marketing department is a totally different world from Customer Care. And never was this made more clear to me than when we had a discussion on questions you CANNOT be asked in an interview.

I was appalled. I had been asked (and had been answering) these questions throughout my career whenever I interviewed anywhere. I found them uncomfortable and invasive but assumed that that was the way it went for all interviews. It wasn’t.

So to save you from the mistakes of my youth, here are 4 questions you cannot be asked in an interview:

Marital Status (Do you have children? Are you single or married?)

This has no bearing on how well you do the job yet interestingly enough this came up in every single one of my interviews. The way it was asked was “Any children?” followed by “Married?”. Looking back I feel like it was a way to judge how available I would be to work extra hours (something that occurs often in call centers)

How old are you?

This question is forbidden since it could lead to discrimination based on age. Say, for example if you are a young person with no family who is expected to work late. It sounds like I am being paranoid but a significant chunk of the first few years in my career was spent in overtime. If I refused to work extra hours, I was questioned as to why and I was told I had “no excuse” because I had no husband or children.

Do you have a car?

This one blows my mind because the question that is relevant is “do you have reliable transport” not “do you have a car”. Unless it’s necessary for the job, a car does not affect your ability to work.

Where do you live?

Honestly I think this is just asked to ensure that there are no issues with you getting to work on time however this can also be seen as a form of discrimination. Also, let us not forget that one time I waited three hours for a job interview (which never took place) simply because I made the mistake of informing the hiring manager that I lived close to the call center.

If you get any of these questions, just be wary. NONE of these questions were asked in any of my Marketing or Journalism interviews (except for that one failed freelancing attempt that I had). These questions are a huge red flag and should be a sign to proceed with caution.

Playground of Randomness

Tag: job hunting

5 Things to Check Before Starting Your Job Hunt

4 Job Interview Questions That are a Major Red Flag