No nearer to getting a new job? You might need the ‘right’ attitude

by Craig Burton

Your CV might be hitting all the right notes and you’ve got your interview technique down to a tee, but yet you’re still nowhere nearer to getting your next job – so what’s missing?

Perhaps it comes down to attitude. The way you are mentally approaching the job application is leading to your downfall. For me, it’s simply a case of asking the question, “Do I REALLY want this job?”

I remember in my earlier days in recruitment having to choose between two candidates for a vacancy I was working on. One CV I looked at had everything the job brief had described with bags of experience in the fields desired by the client. There were a couple of spelling mistakes in the CV, but nothing too inappropriate for a job application. The second candidate wasn’t quite as strong on paper, but you could tell they had put the time in to crafting an immaculate CV with no errors at all.

I arranged a pre-interview with both the candidates. The first knew his stuff and I saw him fitting perfectly in to the client’s business. He had experience in everything the client was looking for, further than his CV first made out. I thought I was luckiest man on the planet that I had managed to find someone who I thought would make it straight through the interview and get the offer.

The second came in and you could see he was really keen to get the job, excited by the prospect of the role and the things he would need to learn.

In the end, I put both forward for interview with the client, fairly certain that the first candidate would get the job and that the second one would be perfect for another suitable role once it became available.

To my surprise, the second candidate was the one who received the job offer. It was only when the client came back to giving me the feedback that I clocked on to something quite key when you’re going for a new role.

About the candidates, the client said that “the first candidate spoke in terms of what HAD done in OTHER COMPANIES. The second candidate, whilst weaker on paper, talked about what they WILL do in MY COMPANY – as if he already worked here. He clearly wanted the job more, and that’s the type of staff I want.”

If you REALLY want the job, you make sure spelling mistakes don’t creep into your CV (which could hinder your application), and you come across much better in an interview.

Get your attitude right and the rest will (hopefully) follow.

Photo Source: Victor1558