Honesty Is The Best Policy

by EdgeLink on May 26, 2006 in Uncategorized

There are frequent conversations amongst the recruiters in our office about why an applicant wasn’t hired for a particular job. Obviously, we want every candidate we represent to go out there and knock the socks off a potential employer during their interview. However, we’ve seen recurring themes of candidates shooting themselves in the foot instead.

One way this commonly happens is through the “fluffing” of one’s skills. In other words, when an applicant wants a position so much, they are not truthful or forthright about their lack of experience in certain areas. What the applicant often doesn’t realize is that this practice is self-sabotaging.

An interviewer can almost always tell when an applicant isn’t being realistic about their experience or is afraid to admit that they don’t know something. And if the truth isn’t evident in initial conversations, it most certainly will be uncovered during the technical interview.

So, job seekers, bear in mind: It’s okay to be human. Often an employer will favor someone who can admit his shortcomings over someone who is afraid to reveal that he lacks certain experience.