Dumbest online job hunt blunders
August 8, 2008 by Fred HosierPosted in: Employees do the strangest things, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
Unfortunately, the Internet has provided one more way job applicants can embarrass themselves in front of HR and future managers.
In her ABC News online column, Michelle Goodman provides some recent examples.
One comes from Cara MacDonald, who placed an online ad for an administrative professional. One applicant sent a link to her personal Web site, complete with YouTube videos.
MacDonald was too curious and followed the link. Now she wishes she had chosen otherwise.
The video showed the applicant dancing provocatively in a lacy lingerie top and super-short mini skirt.
“Periodically, throughout those five minutes of disturbia, she flashes the camera,” according to MacDonald, “and it’s ‘I see London, I see France — she’s not wearing underpants?’”
Needless to say, the applicant didn’t get the job.
Other common applicant blunders include providing e-mail addresses that may tell too much about the person, such as sexpig, sexygirl or boozehound @ whatever.com.
We’d like to hear about recent online-based applicants blunders you’ve seen (and maybe wished you hadn’t). Drop us a note in the comments box below.
August 8th, 2008 at 11:18 am
I can’t top that story but I am an office manager who recently put an ad online for an Administrative Assistant. Within a few hours of posting it I had several responses. They not only attach their resume but they type in a cover page. I couldn’t believe all the mispellings or typo’s on the cover page. There were two who sent their information twice with two different cover letters explaining why they would be the one for the job. Two completely different reasons or stories yet the same resume. These are the people I have to choose from to hire as as administrative assistant for my company??? I was very taken back by this. Of course it was the first time I have encounter the online search.
Thanks for listening.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Some of my favorites from my resume collection:
“Currently looking for a part time online teaching position in a Christ-Centered atmosphere”
“…By doing this I was looked up to (by him) and he gave me a $2 raise the first week I was there. So you could say I was a team player or a kiss a** your choice”
Secretary spelled ’sectuary’ THREE times
“Job Title: 3rd Shift Stocker” (the ‘f’ was left out of “Shift”)
“Resume headline: Customer service skillz”
“Objective: I would like to have a job in just about anything. I think that it would be a new and helpful tool for me”
August 12th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I had an email address come from a rehire candidate and the address was “deathmetalwhore@…” I called her and coached her on how to start a new email address specifically for job hunting.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I actually wrote a long, (hopefully) funny article for our in-house newsletter a few years ago about this. Amazing the stuff that shows up in resumes, cover letters (no, “texting” is not a cover letter), and the occasional things found on-line.
In the latter category, my favorite was the candidate who directed me to his MySpace page where the cover shot was him and his guitar. Unfortunately the guitar was all he was wearing (and of course the beer bottles in the background didn’t help). He’s still probably wondering he’s not getting any responses to his resume.
August 15th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I received an unsolicited resume addressed to Human Resources. The cover letter began, “Dear Human:”
August 15th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
An applicant advised he couldn’t do a pre-employment drug screen for 30 days due to he smoked recreationally on weekends????
August 15th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
An applicants email address was “swastika@..” . Probably nota good fit in our very diverse Company.
Also, a candidate who stated on the app that he had a felony for intent to sell drugs, but that he used to buy his drugs for personal use in bulk for a cheaper price.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I had a candidate who was well into adulthood who had “kindergarten valedictorian” on her list of accomplishments on her resume.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I have a couple to share. I personally enjoy cover letters or objectives that do not have any relation to the position they are applying for. Apparently it is too much work for an applicant to adjust their resume and cover letter to fit the position they are applying for.
As for applicants who decide not to show for an interview and then call back a few months later to apply again as if nothing happened…give me a break, don’t waste my time.
But the all time best is when i was about to hire an applicant and before I made an offer he had decided to leave a message for me asking me out on a date. Boundaries? Professionalism? Two years later….he calls again about an open position and stated ‘I am not sure if you remember me, I was the guy who asked you out on a date, which I probably should not have done, but I was wondering if I could apply for…….’
August 15th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Wow! This makes me even prouder of my 16-year-old granddaughter who applied for her first job recently. It was in a scrapbooking store. They dress casually there and she had on jeans and a tank top and put on a hoodie, even though it was about 100 degrees, because she thought the tank top might not be exactly appropriate. She also thought to bring a portfolio of her own scrapbooking work with her to the interview. Not bad. I think some of the people in the above examples are in for a shock if they ever want to work in a professional environment.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I’ve had a few…..
Email from poontangprincess@……
A resume for receptionist which stated “filling the position would require a friend or relative to shadow me in my job. I speak fluent Portuguese, not English. This position would help me to learn English as a second language.”
My favorite though was from a new college grad’s mother - requesting an interview for her son (of course she also requested to attend….).
August 18th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
My favorite resume - young lady walked into my office to apply for a warehouse position. On her resume she listed her current position as a “Whorehouse Manager.” Since she wasn’t from Nevada I assumed spellcheck got the best of her.
August 18th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
We had an applicant for a proofreader position who spelled proofreader as “proffreader.” Note to applicants- please proofread your resume when applying for an editorial or proofreading position. If it’s not correct, there’s no way you are even going to get an interview.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:41 am
We had an applicant who, I believe, was trying to state that she worked in a factory “stacking chocolates,” but she wrote, “stalking chocolates.”
August 19th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Gail…I’m guessing your applicant meant “stocking chocolates” and just used the incorrect spelling/form of the word. That is amusing though. I’d stalk chocolate…Yum.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I had an interviewee submit in her cover letter that she was responsible for “changes in meetings, attendance information and specifics on the growing “rooster” of speakers invited to the event.” Cock a doodle doo!
I also love when people write that their title is ‘manger’ as opposed to ‘manager’.
Once, upon calling an online applicant in for an interview, he told me that he really liked to figure things out piece by piece, through trial and error, “ya know, through ’seductive’ reasoning”. Genius!
August 21st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I once received a resume that was in Comic Sans font, had emoticons and even at one point used “lol”. I did not contact this person for an interview, although I was tempted to call them just to give some tips on writing a resume.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:56 am
OK, so does anyone else actually give any applicants feedback on their resume or cover letters? And if so, does it backfire at you? I recently got a resume applying for a hard to fill position. His resume said nothing about having experience which he mentioned in our questionnaire (knock outs). His cover letter had some minor grammar problems but nothing earth shattering. However, the hiring manager would’ve been VERY frustrated over even a single error in the cover letter.
I emailed the candidate and thanked him for applying. I asked him to please resubmit a resume and cover letter which covered all major employment during the time frame covered in his resume (thus filling in the missing jobs with the experience he claimed in his questionnaire), and to please provide me a new cover letter that discussed his experience in our industry. I suggested he have someone proof read same prior to submitting. IF the hiring manager was interested, I would then give him the background — so that the candidate got a chance to make a better first impression, but the hiring manager also had all the info.
I THINK i was exceptionally polite — i’m usually commended for courtesy — and his first partial response was to thank me for the constructive criticism. then he proceeded to lecture me on hw to be a ‘good hiring manager’ and then commented about wasting his time and finally called me rude.
If I were searching for a job (he’s not working), I would like to think i’d be thrilled that someone was giving me some input AND even more so that someone was giving me a 2nd chance to make that first impression with the hiring manager. wouldn’t you? I was pretty irritated — i’d wasted my time offering him feedback and doing something i’d never done before, asking for a resume that actually fits our listed requirements, and the thanks I got was what my teenager would call a ’snotgram’.
September 9th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
AMC: I’ve asked many people for feedback on apps, resumes, letters, and interviews but have never had anyone give me anything except the standard answers. I would have appreciated your feedback, this issue was addressed in another newsletter. Everyone who commented would not have given any feedback.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Thx, PCM. I know that if someone saw something in MY resume that knocked me out for a job, I’d sure like to hear about it! I think I will still try to continue to do so, and of course i’m exceptionally careful to make sure I don’t put the company at risk in any manner…but I feel like its the right thing to do. And, if it can help my employers’ brand with potential candidates — if they share my helpfulness with friends or family, or perhaps they apply later for a different job for which they are a better match — well, then I figure the few minutes was worth my time.