Patwoman's Job Hunting Tips

1. Show up to your interview. True story: "Bob" was scheduled to interview with me at 9 am on December 7. He didn't show up, didn't call to say he wasn't showing up, didn't offer any explanation until January 3. Now, if you're doing the math, that's almost a month later. His explanation? "I misunderstood."

2. Don't lie. What did Bob misunderstand? Was it the phone conversation where we scheduled the interview? And I asked, "What day is best for you?" And he chose December 7? Or was it the follow up email I sent him, titled "Appointment Confirmation" which began with "Your interview appointment is confirmed for 9:00 am on Tuesday, December 7"? Or perhaps it was his own reply to that email: "Thanks. See you then."?

3. If you are going to lie, make it a better one than "I misunderstood." I talk to dozens of people a week. They all follow those same instructions just fine. If I've given you explicit instructions and you've confirmed verbally and by email and then you misunderstand, well then, this is probably not the job for you. One of the basic expectations is that you will be able to follow basic instructions.


4. Next time, call to cancel or reschedule before the scheduled time. Don't no-show a potential employer. I believe this is actually called "Burning your bridges in front of you."