A job search can be frustrating, especially if you've been searching for months and coming up empty.
And sometimes — rightly or wrongly — job seekers direct their frustration at employers over their hiring practices.
But for every gripe from a job seeker, an employer has one as well about what they read and don't read on resumes and cover letters, and what they hear and don't hear in interviews. The funny thing is that both sides have similar complaints about the other. For instance, look at these examples:
| Job Seeker Complaints |
Employer Complaints |
| "Employers leave us hanging after we submit our resumes or after we're interviewed. Can’t they just let us know if we’re still in the running?" |
"Job seekers can be pests by constantly following up on their applications. Don’t they realize we have several candidates to evaluate? These things take time!" |
| "Hiring managers ask the dumbest or weirdest questions in an interview. What's the point in asking what animal from the Amazon rain forest I’d like to be?" |
"Job seekers don't prepare well for interviews. They ramble on and give us too much information on stuff that's not related to the job or their backgrounds." |
| "Employers can dance around salary ranges even though they want salary requirements from us. They seem more concerned with how much they'll have to pay me than whether I’m the right person for the job." |
"Job seekers dance around their weaknesses when we interview them. We've heard more than our share of B.S. answers when we ask that question. Want to know how many of them say "chocolate"? That was only funny the first hundred times." |
Can't everyone just get along?
There's a well-known saying that you shouldn't judge another person unless you've walked a mile in their shoes. That's why job seekers should anticipate what employers are looking for during the job search process, while employers should be equally empathetic about job seekers' expectations.
RELATED LINKS
Resume Writing, Interviewing, and Networking Advice
Insider Job Search Tips from HR Professionals
Weird Interview Questions and the Reasons Behind Them
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