Basic etiquette rules for the world of work

In a previous post, Janelle Watkins wrote about the importance of not burning bridges in job search or work, because, as she said — “You never know when you’ll come across these people again and you never know who they may speak to about your behaviour within your chosen field“. Working in social media, this point struck home for me; the Internet has made job searchers, more than ever, visible to potential employers. Job seekers do not seem to be aware of how exposed they truly are to the curious eyes of potential employers, who — fairly or not — use this information in their decision making process.

Everyone who uses social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs) has come across comments in an online public conversations which make them cringe — comments which are personal, inappropriate, mean spirited, rude or even abusive, written often on an impulse. These comments are public and could be easily found by anyone searching for a candidate online. Similarly, emails and text messages are sent, which could also be kept and forwarded. In addition, we know that when evaluating candidates for hire or promotion, employers may casually ask around, to assess the reputation of the applicant and their activities. 

It seems to me that much of this comes down to basic behaviour etiquette; the kind that teachers put up in their kindergarten classrooms, which, it seems to me — we tend to forget as we get older.  A quick online search for rules of behaviour lead me to these “Big Six Recess Rules”, on a school website:

Recess rules -- Marquez Charter Elementary School

Though they may seem childish, these rules are relevant to the way we, as adults in the world of work, are expected to conduct ourselves (and which many of us seem to forget):

1. “Show respect…” – Everyone, including the receptionist, the person who answers the phone, a colleague, teacher or client, might have an impact on how a person may be judged when decisions about jobs are made. Many job seekers have lost opportunities when their disrespectful attitude was pointed out to a potential employer. It’s important to remember that employers regard behaviours such lateness, disorganization, a lack of preparedness, a refusal to follow instructions (such as when employers say “no calls please” on a job post) as disrespectful and will take that into consideration when making a decision.
2. “Use words that compliment, help and support…” – In this age of digital media, words are key. They are the evidence and record against which job seekers are evaluated — including the words job seekers deliberately choose to market themselves (on resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, etc), as well as those written in casual conversation on social media. A quick search on Google will reveal both.  Keep in mind that just as much as negative words can be held against you, positive words can be an advantage. If an employer comes across you on social media and finds you to be intelligent, generous and positive, that may be a deciding factor too.
3. “Settle differences peacefully” – Employers often want to know about a candidate’s ability to handle conflict and deal with criticism.  Again — this can be demonstrated in how you handle yourself in social media.  It can also be addressed in an interview with examples from your work history where you accepted feedback, handled a difficult colleague or dealt with an angry customer.  
4. “Take care…” – The way in which a candidate maintains their workspace, the neatness of a job application, attention to detail and physical appearance all give employers a clue about a job seeker’s commitment to taking care in their work.  This too, is key for employers and can be demonstrated through how you manage your online and workplace behaviours.
5. “Always be where you are supposed to be” — Obviously, cultivating a reputation for unfailingly and punctually attending work, job interviews, classes and other commitments is important.  This could also refer to appropriate use of social media — employers will expect to “find” you, as a job seeker, in certain places online, notably LinkedIn, and if you are to be found elsewhere (Twitter, Facebook, etc), it’s important that you present yourself well there, too.
6. “Always try to perform better than you did yesterday” — This is my favourite of all the rules, because it highlights the difference between mediocrity and excellence. Demonstrate your high standards by ensuring you have things such as error-free resumes, are fully prepared at interviews, present strong references and LinkedIn recommendations, can show a commitment to life long learning and the are able to confidently identify your genuine weaknesses and strengths in an interview. 

The basic ideals listed in the rules of the playground are the same values employers expect to see demonstrated when they make hiring decisions.  Modern technology, through social media and the Internet, has given people unprecedented access to information about each-other. The challenge to all of us, whether we are  job seekers, freelancers, contract workers, employers or business owners, is to maintain a reputation for respect, sociability, fairness, consideration, attentiveness and excellence, both online and in real life.

~ Have you Googled yourself lately?  Check out your online image — does it represent you well? Comment here or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear what you discover!

How to turn job search mistakes to your advantage – the art of taking responsibility

A while ago, client of mine applied for a job which she was very excited about. It was perfect: near her home, in her field and in a great company. Unfortunately, maybe because she was so excited, or maybe because she was applying late at night, after a long day, for a job whose deadline was about to pass, she made some mistakes in her application; the kind of mistakes described by some online job search advice blogs as “deadly sins”. She had sent it before spell-checking it, which left two typos on her cover letter. She called me, nearly in tears the next morning – what should she do?

Search the internet for the term “job search mistakes” and you will find a long list of articles and blog posts which use words such as “avoidable” , “costly”  and even “deadly”  or,  more dramatically, “killer”  to describe the impact of even the smallest of mistakes on job search. While it is true that making a mistake is something to be avoided as much as possible, there are some things you can do to deal with mistakes once they have happened; some of these approaches might make a very big difference, to the point of even impressing a potential employer enough to reconsider a candidate in a new light.

Job search mistakes can happen at every level of job search – from career decision-making, networking, resume writing, interviewing to negotiating terms for a new job; many of these can be avoided with some knowledge and careful planning (found in many of these excellent blogs). Interestingly, as my client pointed out, there is almost no attention paid online to helping job searchers with ways of recovering from or amending these mistakes. This left her feeling that once she made a mistake, the impact is so dire that she might as well just forget it and move to the next opportunity.

In this economy, where there are many talented job searchers compete for a small number of jobs, you might think that it is easy for an employer to easily eliminate a candidate from competing for a job, based on small, preventable mistakes. Interestingly, many employers still claim that they continue to struggle to find qualified candidates.  This suggests that they might be open to reconsidering an otherwise strong candidate before rejecting them for making a small mistake. But this can only happen IF the candidate deals with the mistake properly.

Pearl Buck, winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature suggested that

“Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied”

This principle, which is a pretty useful life lesson, has some useful applications for job search; many mistakes can be corrected through direct action, which might include a quick (and brief) apology, taking responsibility and correcting the error.

After discussing her options with me, my client decided to reapply to the job – she corrected the errors in the cover letter, and updated the date on it, and re-sent it to the employer with the following note in the email:

Dear Ms X,

I am hereby re-submitting my application for the xxxx position, after having already submitted an application for this position yesterday. This morning, after reviewing my application, I regretfully noticed two errors in my cover letter. While inexcusable (and not something that happens often, my references would assure you), I am reapplying with a corrected document, in hopes that you may still consider me for this position, for which I believe, I am highly suited.

While I do hope you will reconsider me for this position, I will understand if you chose to consider another applicant.

I look forward to an opportunity to prove my worth to you in an interview.

Sincerely
XXX XXXXXX

Any guesses about the employer’s response? Not only was she called for an interview, but the employer remarked that she was so impressed by my client’s ability to responsibly address a mistake, that she prioritized her application above others she had received.

The principles of such an Artful and Effective apology are neatly outlined in this excellent article, where the author quotes an employer who says that “The secret to my success as a leader in my business has been my ability to offer well-timed and heartfelt apologies after mucking things up.”  

Here is what he recommends, as tips for “Constructing an Appropriate, Effective Apology”:

“A Well-Constructed Apology Is:
1. Timely - As close to the transgression as possible, please.
2. Specific - By describing what you did wrong and why it was wrong, you are showing your command of yourself and your awareness of the impact you have on people and on the workplace.
3. Behavioral - Try: Here’s what I intended and why…here’s what I did…and I understand that my approach failed to communicate what I intended.
4. Genuine - Say what you mean and mean what you say.
5. Brief - No one wants you to draw it out. Don’t excuse it, don’t make excuses for your behavior and don’t try and describe the twenty things that happened that day that added up to your bad moment.”

Such an apology is bound to impress the potential employer and convey your ability to be a responsible employee who might be added value to the position.

Bottom line: As John Powell stated:

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.

If you catch yourself in a small error, set out to quickly, briefly and simply resolve it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Who, knows – you may even make an even better impression than you intended!

Have you ever had to deal with a silly mistake in the job search process? What did you do? We’d love to hear your perspective!