There are times when you find yourself applying with many different employment agencies and still not getting an interview. The answer may be blacklists. With the job market becoming even more competitive in recent years, recruiters are in the position of having many applicants to chose from, and they are quick to weed out people who they think are difficult to work with. The idea that recruiters can and do blacklist applicants isn't just urban legend. It happens, and it happens more frequently than you think.
Here are a few things that you can do to keep from being on a recruiters blacklist:
- Don't send out mass resumes to every job you find- Especially if they are all from the same employment agency. If a recruiter is advertising 10 job openings and gets 15 copies of your resume, they are going to assume that you are desperate and that there is a good chance that you are just looking for any job you can find. It is always a good habit to only apply for jobs that you really want and to tailor each copy of your resume to each job you are applying for.
- Don't talk bad about other recruiters or companies- This is just unprofessional and bad talking anyone is always a poor choice. It never makes the person or company you are talking about look as bad as it does you. Also, the world of human resources is much smaller than you think, and you never know if the person you are talking to is a good friend of the one you are talking bad about.
- Don't lie on our resume- While it is perfectly acceptable to use your resume as an advertisement and talk yourself up, it is not ok to lie on it. Saying you have a degree when you don't, or listing a job that you never held is bad form and can even be considered fraud. When you lie to your recruiter, they look bad when they are out there trying to find a job for you.
- Don't miss scheduled interviews- A recruiters time is valuable, and if you don't respect that, you can't expect to be on their list of favorite clients. Show them respect and they will return the courtesy.
- Don't reject a job offer that they have worked hard to get for you- Unless you have a good reason, rejecting a job offer they have worked hard to find for you is just rude. There are times when you may need to turn down a job offer, but be careful about building bridges that you are going to burn.
- Be professional and understanding- Even during the times when the recruiter may not be. If they are short with you on the phone or say something to you that you take offense at, depending on the situation, your best bet is to let it go and remain professional. Your recruiter may be overworked or stressed out. Even though it is no excuse for them to be unprofessional, attacking them about it will just make them dislike you.
- Clean up your online identity before working with a recruiter- You can be sure that any recruiter you work with is going to do a Google search on you. Be sure that there won't be any surprises for them when they do. If they are going to bat for you, the least you can do is be sure that you are doing your part.
A good recruiter can help you land the job of your dreams and can truly be a partner in your job search. But, keep in mind that they are people too, and they may not be eager to go out of their way for someone who doesn't seem to be ready to their part. So, respect your recruiter and make sure you don't get on their blacklist.
Are you looking for a job in the Manhattan area? If so, check out Manhattanjobs.com.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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