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The Job Interview Starts From the First E-mail

May 12, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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Alison Green

I frequently see job candidates acting as if only "official" contacts—like interviews and formal writing samples—count during the hiring process. They'll send flawlessly edited cover letters and writing samples and then check up on their applications with sloppily written E-mails with spelling errors. Or they'll be charming and polite to me but rude to an assistant.

If you're job searching, remember that employers are gathering information about you at every interaction, not just in the interview itself. For example:

What is your response time like? I pay attention to how quickly a candidate responds to requests for writing samples and references, and even how fast he or she returns phone calls. My assumption is that you're on your best behavior during the hiring process—so if I have to wait days for you to get back to me now, what will you be like when you're working here?

How reliable are you? I want candidates who take their own word seriously, not cavalierly. For example, if you tell me you'll send references within a day, I expect them within a day—or that you'll update me with a new timeline.

Can you follow directions? My organization posts our job application instructions online, and we specify five points we want all cover letters to include; at least one third of our applicants ignore these instructions. If you can't follow directions before we've even hired you, I'll assume you won't follow them if you work for us.

Do you have a sense of entitlement? Candidates who demand immediate interviews, balk at requests for writing samples, or generally act as if they're the only candidate for the job send a loud message that they'll be nightmares to work with. (These are the same candidates who will reply to a rejection notice by insisting that there couldn't possibly have been anyone better qualified for the job.) The candidates who seem appreciative and know that the hiring process is competitive are the ones who get interviews.

Of course, I'll notice the opposite too. If you respond quickly and professionally at every stage, do what you say you're going to do, respect and follow instructions, and treat everyone you come into contact well, I'm going to notice it. It won't get you the job if you're not qualified, but if you are, it could be the extra push you need.

Alison Green is chief of staff for a medium-size nonprofit where she oversees day-to-day management of the staff as well as hiring, firing, and staff development. She is working with the Management Center to coauthor a book on nonprofit management. Her writings have been published in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Maxim, and dozens of other newspapers. She blogs at Ask a Manager.

Tags:: internet,; e-mail,; careers

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I'm one of the boomers. Okay, I don't work in an office, and my job teaching English at a technical college isn't by nature cut-throat. I would have hated being in business from day one to today. I'm on this site because I was roped into teaching a class in job skills, and I find some good stuff for the class.
Colleges do have their politics, but I prefer not to go for anyone's gullet. I just do my job the best I can, and I'm allowed to do that because my class is my class.
I've always worked well with others. In my bumbling youth, I learned a lot from older teachers. Now, I am one of the old teachers. Right now, I have a department chair and two close coworkers in their early 30s, and I find them wonderful to work with. They're sharp and good at what they do. I learn from them too.
In meetings, I try to listen and add if I have something to add. Usually, I see something others didn't think of. Often, they see something I didn't think of.
I do go a little nuts with young students who exit class, disrupting me and others, to run to the hall to take a call. I've listened to the content of most of these calls. "I'm not doin' nuthin...I'm just in math class. What are you doing?"
I think getting up and running out of an academic class that one has paid for is just not good for anyone. But I admit I am old. See above.
I am not all down on these kids. They're funny and bright and have a lot to offer to a world I won't still live in, and they'll find their way.
It is kind of a bummer to be a techno dinosaur though! I have keep bringing up the rear on that one!

JAFFY of GA 9:24PM August 20, 2010

I found OhioBoomer's remarks very offensive. After working with Boomers all of my adult life, there was not one employer whom I worked for that did not have at least one (if not two) whining, complaining, back-stabbing Boomer with me, for me, or in the same office. Did I mention politics? Office politics were created by Boomers. I found these behaviors to be a distraction from departmental goals, counter-productive, and the cause of low office morale. Boomers seem to be very jealous by nature and, instead of the leaders we look to them to be, they tend to be trigger-happy and poised to terminate anyone who even sneezes at creativity. It's simply not very easy working for or with Boomers; and, in my opinion, create an atmosphere of doom and gloom amongst the workforce.
OhioGenXer

OhioGenXer of OH 9:01PM August 20, 2010

I see it daily --- each generation has it's own ideas regarding what is acceptable behavior, be it cell phones in restaurants or typos in businesss emails. When it comes to job hunting, one needs to put personal opinion aside and function within the context of the company you're courting. Either you find their standards amenable, or you don't. This is part of the dance, whether you're dating or job hunting. When you become frustrated at not finding a match, it's time to take a look at whether your standards are up to par.

Pdx of OR 12:39PM July 28, 2010