We can help find the best new opportunity for most candidates.

Yes, we’ll work with job seekers to prepare them for an upcoming interview.

At all times, we want to find a win-win situation for every job seeker and hiring manager that we work with.

There are a few things we, however, can’t do.

We won’t guarantee that anyone is hired under a strict timeline.

All people looking for jobs won’t find what they are looking for where they want to work right away.

And, we cannot repair a ruined professional reputation – particularly when the damage is self-imposed.  A poor interview happens – leaving room for improvement at the next opportunity.  A tarnished professional reputation, though, is irreversible.

Destroying a professional reputation cannot be undone – forever shutting doors that would have otherwise swung wide open for the skills a candidate might possess.

There are two, common reputation killers that must be avoided – resume exaggeration and candidate ghosting.

Reputation Killer #1: Exaggerating Your Resume

Let’s be very clear – out-and-out lying on a resume WILL be found out.  Companies have access to work history and educational backgrounds to sniff out any blatant resume misrepresentations.  Most candidates don’t lie, they embellish the truth.

While exaggerating truth is harder for hiring managers to detect, the cost of hiring a person with mismatched skills is dire – in some cases, costing a business over $10,000 per “bad” hire.  Those costly mistakes mean that wading through a candidate’s resume to find any exaggerated facts is something that all hiring managers must do in order to find the best, long-term fit.

Common resume exaggerations include:

• Educational embellishments – claiming to be a student if only a few classes were completed
• Date deception – inaccurate start/end dates for previous employments
• Skill stretching – listing qualitative recognitions (ie: Top Salesman) that are difficult to prove

Recruiters will often rely on background checks and social media monitoring to fully vet any candidate.  The longer the hiring process, the more likely exaggerations will be found out.  If exaggerations are caught, they will likely cost you a shot at the job.

Rather than beefing up your resume with facts that are not (completely) accurate, spend time showcasing the qualifications that make up for any perceived shortcomings.  No candidate will fit a job posting exactly – so don’t attempt to.  Be honest from the start.

Reputation Killer #2: Candidate Ghosting

We have written at length about the professional damage done to a candidate’s reputation by not showing up to an interview or disappearing after contact is made with a hiring manager.  Ghosting is happening more and more – particularly as job seekers often see plentiful job postings and multiple job offers.  No matter the increased frequency, ghosting is not acceptable – ever.

Ghosting is the easiest way of “burning bridges” in the eyes of a recruiter and employer.  The world is getting smaller and more connected.  A candidate might feel unharmed in the short-term after ghosting.  The tide, though, will come in.  We see this far too frequently.

Before you consider “no showing” for an interview, take the time to call the hiring manager or recruiter to explain why.  Any employer would rather you cancel than waste their time.  There is nothing wrong with politely saying “no.”

A solid professional reputation takes years to build and only one exaggeration or missed interview to destroy.

And, while there is no way to immediately assess a candidate’s market reputation, a good hiring process will flush out any embellishment and certainly un-sheet any ghosts.  We’d rather highlight a candidate’s strengths rather than explain a scheduling mishap.

Yes, we are here to help.

We cannot help anyone, though, who exaggerates key facts on their resume or doesn’t show up for an interview.

We cannot mend a fractured professional reputation.

Need help finding the right candidates?  Contact Goliath today!