First Impressions Are Critical

First Impressions Are Critical Several years ago, I was in charge of hiring at a local company. At the time, we had posted for two separate job openings and were advertising in several different mediums. In all of our advertisements, it said, “No Walk-Ins, Please.” Now, for most of us that means…do not come to our place of business. Businesses do this because they may not be able to take time out of the day to deal with hundreds of job applicants who come to the office. By the way, our advertisements also specified that a cover letter and resume were required to apply for the job. One morning, I met a young man at the door of our business. He was dressed in a dirty t-shirt, ripped shorts, and flip flops. Our conversation went something like this: Him: “I’m here to apply for the job.” Me: “Which job position are you interested in applying for?” Him: “The one in the newspaper.” Me: “Well, we are actually advertising for two positions at this time. Was it the assistant position?” Him: “Yeah, that must be it.” Me: “Well, we actually require our job applicants to send in a cover letter and resume. If you would like to do that, we will be reviewing them and then calling for interviews based upon your qualifications.” Him: “Oh…well…does the resume have to be typed?” Me: “Yes, it does.” Him: “Okay, thanks.” The potential job applicant then turned and left our office. Needless to say, I never did see his resume come across my desk. The point of the story? Please follow directions when applying for a job. The man clearly did not see the part of the advertisement that read, “No Walk-Ins, Please.” Secondly, the first impression of this candidate left A LOT to be desired. His dress, attitude, and demeanor all told me that this was one of many jobs he was applying for and he hadn’t taken the time to prepare for the potential job. It sounds simple, but sometimes it all goes back to the basics: follow directions, dress professionally, and be prepared.