Lying about your experience or representing it in enormous proportions is not only what makes you look unprofessional but it also might suggest putting you on the 3L rule list.
The 3L list consist the losers, the loners and the liars- these three don’t ever get on any contact list, because no one wants to lose their time for them. If you want to be taken serious, you should rather build a good relationship with the recruiter (or a headhunter), what doesn’t really mean that you should answer positively for all of the job offers they have presented you. If you are not interested-just let them know- your NO is not going to make get on the blacklist. The DON’Ts are obvious enough: do not ride two horses at once- it only looks unprofessional when you make two recruiters compete with themselves. Not to look ridiculous, you also shouldn’t mass distribute your resume or deliberately ignore appointed interviews.
Be a DOer, not a DON’Ter
If you are open for any new opportunities, even in undefined future, it is much better to build a relationship with the headhunter – you will never lose, but you can always win.
For instance, if you would ever find yourself stuck in a place with no opportunities for self-development, etc, it is always nice to have that very someone who would lend you a helping hand. If you are engaged in a growing relationship, the TO DO list is quite short: be honest, always be interview-ready, communicate what job you are looking for. Remember that every conversation with the recruiter is an interview even if no one named it this way.
Remember Me
You might be even more surprised- but it’s not only you who change the job. The recruiters and headhunters also get recruited and they change the companies and what is more, nothing stands in the way of sharing the blacklists with each other.
If you still think that you can escape lightly from making a bad impression and no one would ever do anything with this, well I also need to gently remind you that people do get promoted. What if the headhunter you have once lied to, became an internal recruiter and then got promoted to the HR manager and finally his carrier path will lead him to the position of the Head of Recruitment of the company? And what if you would be finally ready to join the company and… you really think that he or she wouldn’t remember your name? Well, the impression you once made stays for ever- and even two days longer 😉
So if you want any recruiter or headhunter to ever call you back, please give them a chance and don’t make them blacklisted you.
3 Comments. Leave new
Well it sounds serious but one situation comes to my mind. Once a headhunter called me on my mobile and presented the job opportunity. To be honest I wasn’t interested in taking part in any recruitment process. I have politely listened to the headhunter speech and end the call by saying: “Thank you for your offer but I am not interested in changing job right now.”
After few days I had a quarrel with my boss and a pervade thought came to my mind. I have started thinking about changing a job. I forgot about the headhunter who called me and started looking for some interesting job opportunities. I am wondering, maybe I have also applied on the same job add posted by the company mentioned by the headhunter? If so I didn’t do this on purpose. Sometimes I have also apply on job adds without being aware of the name of the company. I hope that the recruiter will not put me on the black list.
I am curious about further cooperation between candidate and headhunter in this story: https://www.sowelo.eu/blog/interesting-cases-in-a-headhunters-life/
What comes to my mind, are some moments from american movies, where rich layer and/or expressive businessmen are about to call their best headhunter just to catch up the business.
It makes me feel like having your “own” headhunter (so having a relationship with one) is something that truly matters. If dreaming a 21st century’s american dream means to have as many important connections as possible, to build this one is to answer the phone. If not- just text the headhunter back, unless you want to stop dreaming big.