Many times, job hunting is about beating the numbers. When you send in a resume with hundreds of other candidates, or are one of a dozen interviews, the numbers are against you. It's your job to stand out from the rest of the crowd, to make it simple for the hiring manager say "This guy's the one we want, no contest."
That's why I was discouraged, although not shocked, to see some blog comments recently where the posters seemed to be endorsing mediocrity, making excuses for being an average, me-too candidate.
The first comment, over at Evil HR Lady, lambasted the interview question "Why do you want to work here?"
dumbest.
question.
ever.
i never ask that question since i'm not interested in azz-kissers.
as though 99% applicants aren't just trying to find a decent job with a decent company in their field. please!
if someone is interested enough to go through the hiring process, i don't expect them to have breathlessly anticipated employment with my company since they were just 'yay-high'.
let's get real, people.
Anonymous is saying "Candidates don't need to show passion and excitement for the job, because 99% of everyone is trying to get by." In fact, that's exactly why you should show how you're excited about the job, because it sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. Instead, Anonymous chooses to fight to maintain the middle ground, to firmly stay average and uninteresting. Chances are, he'll wind up with an average and uninteresting job working for an average and uninteresting boss, too.
The second, posted here on TWG by Andres Kievsky in response to What you say vs. what others hear, takes issue with my comments. I said that it was rude to send thank-you notes from your Blackberry minutes after the interview has ended. I think it tells the recipient that you're just cranking through job prospects hoping to find something that happens to fit.
Kievsky disagrees, saying that that's the way Generation Y does things and management better get used to it:
Understanding generational divides is something difficult, but a very important skill for any manager nowadays.
There are myriad differences in attitude and communication style between Generation Ys and older people. I suggest reading up on the subject before dismissing anyone.
Kievsky isn't wrong that the Millenials in the workforce are going to be a challenge to a business world that isn't used to these newcomers that have always had cell phones, always had the Internet. However, those Millenials are also going to be up against the wall if they don't understand the culture they're entering, and refuse to play by its rules. Maybe it's "normal" or "standard" for Millenials to send a thank-you SMS message, but that's a poor justification for alienating someone in a process that is all about human interaction.
Being the same as everyone else is cold comfort when you don't get the job, beaten out by someone who is willing to transcend the group she's lumped in with. As with Anonymous, rather than using the averageness of the masses to justify poor business sense, Kievsky and Anonymous would better serve readers by encouraging them to elevate from the norm.