En Route: A Career Blog

Never Let Them See You Sweat

AUTHOR: Darlene Z.
CATEGORY: ,
POSTED: October 2, 2012 at 11:00 am

 

The popular phrase of never letting anyone see you sweat came from a 1980s Gillette commercial for its popular deodorant. So what does that have to do with you, a 2012 jobseeker?

More than you can imagine.

Don’t Appear to be Desperate for a Job – Even if You Are

Popular wisdom states that banks only want to give money to people who don’t need it. If you do – desperately – your chances of receiving that loan are slim to none. The same can be true in an employment search.

According to an article from the American Marketing Association being overly sensitive makes one overreact to situations during a job search.

For example, from the article:

“You get an interview on a Tuesday and, expecting a call no later than Friday, you call Thursday, Friday and Monday to get an update. You are trying too hard and sending a message that you have few other options.

“You get a call from a recruiter on a possible opportunity. Before they get on their next call, you are calling them back.

“A hiring manager gives you the feedback you asked for (this time it was negative) and you don’t like it. You take it personally and let them know (in no uncertain terms) that they made a mistake.

“Being too sensitive creates negative feelings in the mind of the collective hiring community.””

 

Being Positive and Self-Assured Goes a Long Way

You never want to create negativity. That’s the first good rule of resume writing…showcase strengths, minimize or exclude weaknesses.

Even if you were to get a job offer after behaving so desperately, chances are you won’t be offered the salary you’re worth. The hiring manager knows you’ll take just about anything and that’s what you’ll be offered.

As the article further states:

1. Put it All into Perspective

2. Stay Positive

3. Display Confidence

4. Don’t Take Things Personally

5. Get Busy

An impactful and flawless resume is a good start in your job search; however, it’s not the full story. You need to be as stellar in person as you are on paper.

Darlene Z.

Darlene Zambruski is a resume writing expert and CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer) with more than 13 years of industry experience. She has authored 10,000+ resumes in every industry and at every career level.

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