Often, people who are consumed by a job search become so self-focused on their own needs that they forget to take the time to acknowledge others or to understand how they are being viewed by others.
Job-search success requires that you present yourself appropriately and adhere to professional social norms. Here are seven key areas to keep in mind:
Keep people who help you in the loop. There are likely many people in your network of family, friends and other business contacts who go out of their way to assist you in your job search. Whether they give you a tip about a company that is hiring, connect you directly with a hiring manager or serve as a reference, take pains not only to thank them when they assist, but keep them in the loop.
How did that contact work out? How was that introductory meeting they helped set up? What happened as a result of their taking time out of their day to speak with human resources or a hiring manager on your behalf?
If they are invested enough in you to help, you should be courteous and let them know what came of it.
[See: The 8 Stages of a Winning Job Search.]
Eat neat and watch your table manners. Often, especially at managerial, professional or executive levels, you’ll be taken out to lunch or dinner when you are visiting during the interview process. Remember that this is simply another form of your interview, and you should not let your guard down.
You can be sure your skills at quasi-social/quasi-business talk as well as your table manners will be thoroughly noted and taken into account. There is no such thing as “off the record,” and there are absolutely no confidences kept in these meetings.
No matter how nice the restaurant or exquisite the menu, this is still a business meeting, and it’s not at all about the food. Try to order things that can be eaten neatly. You might want to refrain from food that you pick up with your hands, red sauces that can stain your clothes and so on.
Even though the company is picking up the tab, don’t order the most expensive thing on the menu. Keep a clear head by not ordering alcohol, but if the setting clearly requires you to have a drink, take pains to nurse it for as long as possible.
Tip off your references about what calls to expect. Never supply the names and contact information of your references before you absolutely need to. And when you are asked for them, it is fair for you to ask what kinds of information they are looking for so you can be certain to select the “right” people among many that you might choose to speak on your behalf.
Even if your references have previously agreed to speak to employers on your behalf, give them a heads up about what company will be calling and the kinds of things that they can address to best help your cause. They’ll much appreciate your helping them to help you!
[See: 8 Things That Are More Productive Than Staring at a Job Board.]
Learn and practice the art of thank-you notes. Prompt, thoughtful thank-you notes are due to everyone who assists you in your path to career advancement. Whether to a recruiter who submits your resume for consideration or members of an interview team, a prompt thank-you note is an absolute expectation and requirement. Failure to do so can easily give the impression that you aren’t interested in the position.
Don’t be a networking vampire. Believe it or not, people haven’t created LinkedIn accounts just so you can find them and expect them to help you in your job search. Networking is about building relationships, and out of relationships come a willingness to help your networking partner.
People like to help when they know someone, but no one likes to be taken for granted or asked for more than they can legitimately provide by way of help.
Be true to your word. No matter what the situation, never promise more than what you deliver.
If, for example, you ask for an informational interview, it is understood that you can’t raise the topic of asking for a job at that company. Or, if in the midst of another kind of interview, if you promise to get information or materials to an employer, you must promptly do so.
No matter what your skills and abilities, if you fail to fulfill your commitments, you’ll be showing yourself to be rude, unreliable and not worth further consideration.
[See: 10 Ways to Perfect Your Personal Brand.]
Be professional at all times. That means everything from your use of language to demonstrating that you know your manners. Keep discussion away from your personal life and focus on the company and its needs along with your experience, skills and achievements.
Don’t knock anyone or any company — ever. No matter how badly you feel you were treated in a previous position, don’t place a prospective employer in a position where it has to presume you to be “in the right,” or spend time trying to get to the bottom of the story. At best, you create an unneeded distraction, and at worst, you raise an unnecessary red flag that can lead to your disqualification.
Happy hunting!
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Job-Search Etiquette: 7 Tips for Success originally appeared on usnews.com
