Here are seven of the most common peeves provided by experienced interviewers, along with some tips on how to avoid them:

1. Smells: Too Much of a Good Smell Can Be Bad

Pat Riley, author of Secrets of Breaking into Pharmaceutical Sales, has a pet peeve story to relate: “Preparing for an interview is not like preparing for a date. I had one interview with a woman who doused herself with perfume (the same perfume my ex-girlfriend used to wear) right before stepping into the small interview booth. The perfume was overpowering and brought back bad memories.”

2. Communication: Too Little Leaves Interviewers Exasperated

“My number one interviewing pet peeve is an applicant who won’t talk,” says Steve Jones, a manager of client services at a software company in Dallas. “I try to ask open-ended questions and prod them for longer answers, but no luck. I’ve even mentioned to a few that I need more information so I can get an idea of where they’re coming from — still no luck. I always end the interview saying, ‘Now it’s your turn to ask questions,’ and still no luck; they don’t have any. Oh well — next!”

“Help me out here,” says Jones. “Come prepared to answer questions and talk about yourself.”

3. Communication: Too Much Can Be Too Much

“Candidates who ramble are the ones who get to me,” says Dotti Bousquet of Resource Group Staffing in West Hartford, Connecticut. “Last week, I was interviewing a candidate and asked her one question. The candidate talked and talked and talked for 45 minutes straight. I was unable to stop her. I had to say, ‘Let’s wrap this up,’ and I stood up while she continued to talk. I walked to the door of the office and opened it. She left, but continued to talk while walking out the door.”

The lesson? “Candidates should stay focused, and answer the question asked — in less than two to three minutes,” advises Bousquet.

4. Lack of Focus: Results in Losing the Interviewer

“Typically, candidates are simply too intimidated by the process,” says Mark Fulop, project director for a large nonprofit agency. “Relating the answer given to one question back with another — and asking clarifying or follow-up questions — shows me that the candidate is confident and thinking about the whole picture instead of enduring an interrogation.”

5. Averting Your Eyes: One Way to Avert an Offer

“People who do not make any eye contact during the entire interview” irritate Gwen Sobiech, an agency recruiter in West Hartford, Connecticut. “I realize some people are shy, but to never look at me once — they look down, around, everywhere, but not at me for the entire interview. I find that extremely annoying. I also tend to distrust someone who will not look at me when I’ve asked a question.”

If you are uncomfortable looking into someone’s eyes, look at his “third eye,” just above and between the person’s two eyes.

6. Slang and Street Speak: Leave Them on the Street

“Poor communications skills really get to me,” says Robert Fodge of Power Brokers in Dover, Delaware. “What I mean by this is not merely their language fluency, but more about the use of language. Slang words and street speak just don’t have a place in most business environments. Also, candidates who say ‘um,’ ‘like’ and ‘uh’ between every other word lose my attention very quickly.”

7. Deception: Little Lies Leave a Big Impression

One major complaint among recruiters is when a candidate is not completely truthful; small lies are all too common in the world of recruitment. This includes not being completely forthcoming with relevant information, embellishing accomplishments, hiding jobs or leading the process on with no intention of ever following through. Building trust during the interview is key to getting an offer.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

There is no question that networking can—and should—play an important part in one’s job search strategy. But in our work with individuals who are engaged in a job search, how much networking is enough?

The key to networking is being focused. Let me explain. Many individuals simply talk to friends or “network” with anything that breathes—but not with purpose. A job search support group can provide just this solution. It can provide the education, emotional support and accountability that job seekers need to be successful. Such groups, if organized and managed effectively, can help lead a person to that perfect opportunity.

I’m seeing many of these groups starting to pop-up from coast to coast.  Some are basic, home-grown meetings, while others are dynamically structured organizations. What they do have in common is their core mission—to help those in transition find suitable employment.

I’d like to highlight one that has really made an impact in this regard. The Scioto Ridge Job Networking Group (SRJNG) in Columbus, Ohio leverages the effective combination of a repeatable business model with the energy of talented people in transition to keep the group growing and delivering for the central Ohio community. It was “birthed” from a vision of a single person, Ken Lazar, who, with the support of Pastor Wade Giffin, launched the Job Networking Group at the Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church in 2006. As membership grew steadily from 8 initial members to more than 1000 members today, the mission of the SRJNG has remained steadfast: to help mid-career professionals find good jobs.

The key to the group’s success is a laser focus on effective networking and a shared belief that each member of the SRJNG has the responsibility to assist other members in their job search.  That focus has resulted in celebrating “job landings” at each meeting over the last three years.

Some other key points:

• SRJNG is a faith-based organization, ministering to the local community.
• Each chapter meeting of SRJNG is hosted by a local church.
• SRJNG will soon have 8 chapters, each meeting bi-monthly—all in the metro Columbus area.
• Each meeting is purposefully structured and includes networking, a guest speaker and break out groups where each person can share, learn and practice in a safe environment.
• Currently there are over 1,000 individuals with paid memberships.
• Another “level” of membership is Sponsors who help subsidize the organization and provide additional resources.  Sponsors are Corporate Human Resources, Professional Staffing Agencies, Career Coaches, Life Coaches, Benefit Providers and more.
• SRJNG features an interactive web site with job postings, job search tools, an event calendar featuring all metro area networking events, member resumes, sponsor profiles and links to additional job search resources.

Since this group meets in a church setting, it lends itself to a different spin than most networking or support groups.   Participants are willing to share more from a personal and holistic perspective. After all, the career is only part of a person’s life! Effective business networking is often sparked by a casual conversation about a common interest or acquaintance.

In this day and age, job seeker’s support groups, in their various forms, are found in many communities at many levels. They meet at libraries, career centers and even at churches—and they can work! Our knowledge of what local groups are available or even being involved with is another way to give your clients a resource to help them in their search. Being able to assist your clients to zero in on a job seekers’ group in their area that fits their specific needs compliments the guidance and resources that you continue to provide for them. But remember, job seeker groups are only one part of the big picture of networking

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

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