The Difference Between a Promise and Reality in a Job Search
As a job seeker, you may occasionally be tempted to dress up your experience or slightly overstate your ability in a certain area, both of which you shouldn’t do.
That being said, has it ever occurred to you your interviewers may be stretching the truth as well?
Interviewers regularly make promises to job applicants that don’t become reality. While these statements might not be outright lies, they’re misleading and you ought to guard against them.
Below are a few things you may want to either take with a grain of salt, or get in writing.
“We’ll store your resume on file.”
If you’ve ever been turned down for a job, you’ve probably heard or read this one before. People looking for work generally believe this means they’ll be kept in a repository of applicants and contacted if an appropriate opportunity opens up. In fact, it generally means their application will be filed away, not that they’ll be viewed again down the road.
In fact, the law calls for employers store applications a few years before getting rid of them. So this statement basically means, “We’ll abide by the law with respect to your application materials.”
“We’ll get back to you by the end of next week.”
As many people looking for work know from experience, interviewers’ promises regarding timelines often end up falling flat. What this statement really means is, “Hopefully, we should be making a decision by the end of next week if nothing else comes up. If we’re really interested, we’ll get back to you pretty soon, but if we’re not, don’t expect a call.”
“You would love the office culture here.”
Every employer today knows how important culture is, to the employee, the company and job seekers. That means most companies with some degree of awareness will talk up their culture to applicants.
However, the truth is in the specifics they provide. If the hiring manager mentions flexible hours, professional development opportunities, networking opportunities, competitive salaries, collaboration efforts, teambuilding exercises and promotion opportunities, you should take that more seriously than generalizations.
It’s important not to just take a hiring manager at their word. Do some digging around on LinkedIn and employer review sites like Glassdoor to get an unvarnished take on the company’s culture.
“We offer very competitive benefits.”
Some employers truly think they offer generous benefits, but don’t realize that most companies are offering more than they do.
Additionally, some businesses offer generous benefits on paper, but not in practice. If you have six weeks of vacation, but can’t get time off approved by your manager, then suddenly six weeks isn’t really six weeks.
It’s important to see all benefits in writing and dig down into the details. If the company offers things like vacations and flexible hours, be sure to get the availability of those benefits in writing as well.
Work with a leader in supply chain recruiting
At ZDA, we walk our job seekers through the entire application process so they aren’t blindsided once they start working in a new job. Please contact a top supply chain recruiter today to learn more about how we can help you take the next step on your career path.