One of the responsibilities of the Employment Services, Inc. team is to screen and interview potential employees for their client companies. Having talked to thousands of candidates over the years, some patterns have been observed that are potentially keeping applicants from getting an offer of employment – or even making it past the application submission. We would like to share the following tips with you to help you land the job you’ve got your eye on! We are often left to assume an applicant is not that interested, is not serious about finding a job, or that they would not be a good addition to the team if they do not do some of these simple things.

• Include the correct phone number and email address on your application. Double and triple check it. If you do not give us correct information, we will not be able to reach you.
• Be sure your voice mail is set up and is not full. Our main method of communication with applicants is phone. We want to be able to leave a message if you do not answer. We may not call back a second or third time.
• Check your voice mail regularly. If we do not connect with you and end up leaving a voice message, it is only of value if you listen to the message.
• Check your email as well as your junk email regularly. If a phone number is not working, we will often send an email. Comb through your junk emails regularly and keep an eye on your inbox.
• Do not lie on your application or resume. About anything. Even if it is something you’d prefer not to have to discuss, it is always better to tell the truth than lie. If we catch an applicant in a lie, it is highly unlikely they will receive an offer for employment, and it will be noted in the applicant’s file.
• If you are not going to make it to your scheduled interview/appointment, call to cancel or reschedule. Not making your originally scheduled date/time does not automatically keep you from getting the job. Things happen. But not showing up without notice makes it much less likely you will get a job with any of our clients in the future. If it is an emergency and you cannot call ahead of time to cancel, call as soon as you are able, to explain what happened.
• Complete the application for employment thoroughly. There is a reason each piece of information is requested. Complete all areas accurately and honestly. If you cannot follow directions on an application, why should we believe you would follow directions on the job?
• Do not speak poorly of previous employers. Even if you feel you were treated poorly, or something was unfair, speaking negatively about a past employer is not attractive to employers.
• Take ownership for what you did to contribute to any situations in your past. Having had a negative experience/criminal history does not automatically disqualify you from work. We want to see that you’ve changed and learned so we can feel more confident that another negative situation won’t happen again and impact your employment with our clients.
• Clean up your social media. In many cases we use social media to help us determine if someone is who they claim to be, or if they would be a good fit with the team.
• Have a positive attitude. We prefer to hire people who will get along with the team and will add value. A negative attitude can impact an entire team.
• Be respectful to everyone you connect with in the process. From the first phone conversation to any in-person interviews, respect the person you are communicating with. Don’t swear. Don’t demand they hire you. Lack of respect is a good way to guarantee you will not get a job offer.

To many, these things seem like common sense. But it is not uncommon for us to run into applicants who are not doing these things. If you are looking for a job, take your search seriously. If you don’t take your job search seriously, we won’t take you seriously.