Five signs you are acting too desperate in your job search!

 

Acting too desperate during your job search will work against you! Employers are attracted to candidates that exhibit confidence and know their value. Here are five signs that you are giving off “desperation vibes” and how this can encumber your ability to secure the job you deserve.

 

Desperation sign #1: Being too flexible and too available

The recruitment process often involves several interviews and in some cases additional assessments. This requires schedule management on the part of the job seeker. As a candidate, appearing to have unlimited availability and coming across as if nothing else is going on in your life may open you up to ill-mannered recruitment practices. Recruiters may end up not respecting your time and potentially taking advantage of you by putting you through an unnecessarily prolonged process only to go silent on you seven interviews later.  Additionally, do not allow recruiters to make too many unreasonable last minute schedule changes and expect you to drop everything at short notice. Candidates who are too available risk being seen as “damaged goods”.

 

Desperation sign #2: Excessively following-up

I must begin by calling out that recruiters are well known for not always providing candidates with updates during the hiring process, this results in job seekers taking the initiative to follow up. Following up with a recruiter once or twice is acceptable, but when your follow up becomes borderline stalking and harassment, this completely puts off recruiters and this desperation sign makes you look like you are unable to move on or take a hint that your candidacy has not been successful.

 

Desperation sign #3: Applying for any job

Applying for any and every job without due consideration of your skills and experience will make you appear to have no career direction. Another aspect of this is making numerous applications to the same company, particularly in unrelated roles. Recruitment systems often show the recruiter all positions a candidate has applied for, and if you are seen to be shooting in the dark with your applications, recruiters are likely to see this as a red flag in your candidacy. Employers are not attracted to candidates who seem unfocused in their job search.

 

Desperation sign #4: You are too eager to please during interviews

Showing enthusiasm during interviews is great, but there is a difference between enthusiasm and being too eager to please. Interviews have to be two sided and employers expect good and even tough questions from candidates. You will not impress a company if all you do in the interview is endlessly praise, gush over and compliment them. Do not be too desperate that you end up not objectively assessing if the role and company is a good fit for you. Always approach interviews with the view that a company is as privileged to have you as a candidate as you are privileged to be interviewed by them.

 

Desperation sign #5: Accepting any offer

Desperate candidates will often tell recruiters that they will work for “anything”. A candidate who does not value themselves will not be valued by employers. Being too desperate will open you up to accept any offer even if the offer undervalues your skills and experience. You also risk being branded as having no personal standards. Similarly, do not immediately accept any offer without due consideration as you will be perceived as someone who has no other options or who does not care about being valued. Employers may end up taking advantage and unfairly offer you a lower salary than you deserve or make ridiculous requests such as you working for free as a start.