Good Afternoon
Last week I wrote a Tip of the Week on AOL Email Addresses and the fact that you should stop using them when sending out resumes…oh boy did I get feedback from readers on that tip. Who knew that so many people were so sensitive about their AOL email addresses or that so many people still used them-Ha. As I said to a number of those that reached out in opposition to my AOL advice…perception is reality.
Tip of the Week: Fix Your Reality, It’s Not Someone’s Perception of You
Perception isn’t reality right…? Oh yes it is in the hiring manager’s mind. I wish that there was a hiring handbook that every hiring manager in the world used when evaluating candidates this way job seekers would know that if they do A B & C they would meet the expectations and get hired. FYI no such book exists, so job seekers have to minimize the things that give the perception that they are not right for the role they are applying to. For example:
Voicemail on your phone is a ring back tone of the latest Jay-Z/Kanye song (the one that got Gwyneth Paltrow in trouble on twitter)
Reality-You are a hardworking person who enjoys Jay-Z and Kanye
Perception- This person is young inexperienced and are not ready for a “real” job
Email address is sexysuzy69@realme.com
Reality- Your name is Suzy, you do think you’re sexy and have always used this email address.
Perception- This person has no censor and is not going to represent my company well when dealing with our clients
You answer your phone “what up, talk to me…”
Reality- You have always answer your personal phone that way but would never in a million years do that at work
Perception- This person is clearly not serious about his/her job search.
Your reality is not someone’s perception of you. My point here is that there are no absolute rules when it comes to the job search process but there are little things that you can do to minimize an employer getting the wrong impression of you. Start by changing your email address to something that is professional (first name. last name), answer the phone in a professional manner “hello this is…”, don’t use ring back tones on your phone and act like you want to be hired!
Have a great day and an even better week!
Kwame Dow
The reality is that Articulate U is your competitive advantage during the job search process! Reach out to us (323) 540-4220 TODAY and find out how we can help you get back to work.
