Recruiters see all sorts of people during their day.  Candidates can be outgoing rock stars, timid souls, college grads, professionals looking for a second career and moms wanting to return to the workforce.  And while we work hard to place all of you, there are some things that stand in your way.  Don’t be one of these guys:

Negative Nancy

No job is perfect.  Bosses can be mean, coworkers will gossip, companies can be disorganized.  All of us have difficult work scenarios, but that doesn’t mean that we need to shout out all that negativity.  We know you are looking for work and we’ll do whatever we can to find it for you.  Please stay positive.

Sailor Bob

Honestly if you are swearing during our interview, I won’t be able to trust you to put on a professional face in front of my client.  You need to know when to turn it on and off and keep it clean.

Over-Share Sally

Personal and professional don’t always mix.  Your close friends should be the ones you lean on for personal support when the going gets tough.  I don’t want to hear about your divorce, wild child or money woes.  Let’s keep the conversation to your professional work history and career goals.

Dishonest Joe

Really?  Why would you be dishonest with a recruiter?  We are here to help you get the best deal we can.  We only win if everyone is happy.  And while we are on the topic of being honest, part of our job is to dig for information.  We will eventually find out if you aren’t honest about salary, work history and why you left your last job.  So keep this in mind the next time you hold something back.  Airing out all out the details helps us come up with the best plan to help you.

Absentee Jane (aka canceling last minute or just not showing up)

Recruiters put their reputation on the line daily by trusting one of the most unreliable resources…people.  We might be a little forgiving if you called ahead and gave us enough time to reschedule.  However, if your interview is first thing on Monday morning, and you call me over the weekend…that’s not enough time to save face with my client.  Be responsible and show up for your commitments.  If you go to the interview and it doesn’t go well, the worst that can happen is that you gain practice for other future interviews.

Unreachable Rita

Rita is much like Jane above.  She didn’t show up for an interview or work and now I can’t get a hold of her.  Or perhaps I was finally able to get my client to commit to two different time slots to interview her and now she isn’t returning my calls.  Please make sure you check your voicemail and email often when looking for opportunities.  Communication is key to finding a job.

Inpatient Peggy

Please keep your expectations realistic.  It takes time to find the perfect match between job seekers and employers.  And while I don’t want my competitor to place you in a job before I do, there are times where I may not have anything that is a good fit for you.  Again, recruiters only win if everyone is happy.  So I encourage all candidates to network as much as possible and stay in touch.  It’s in your best interest.  If I don’t have something for you, someone else might.