“That says a lot about his priorities and his professionalism,” explains this big boss. Here is what sentence not to say in a job interview.
You prepare for a job interview like a marathon: polish your CV, plan your answers to classic questions, rehearse your speech about your experiences. However, an often underestimated detail could well cause you to trip, even if you are an exercise ace. According to Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), just one sentence can be fatal.
When facing a recruiter, everything counts: your words, your gestures, but also the values that you reflect. According to Gary Shapiro, it is not only the diplomas obtained or the skills acquired that will help him make his decision. The latter, accustomed to strategic recruitment, attaches great importance to the way in which a candidate leaves his previous employer. “I want employees who demonstrate a real sense of commitment, even when they want to change horizons”he explains.
Concretely, when this manager asks this question to an applicant: “How soon could you start if you got this job?” It's better not to answer next. “Those who tell me that they can start immediately or in a few days, while they are still on the job, will not get the job,” he states bluntly.
For what ? Because an employee ready to leave in a hurry – if he can negotiate the length of his notice period – gives the impression that he could treat his future company with… the same casualness! “If someone fails to give reasonable notice or complete their responsibilities, it speaks volumes about their priorities and professionalism”he insists. This CEO believes that a good candidate must show that they respect their former employer enough to ensure a smooth transition.
The proof? When he recruited an operations manager, the ideal candidate explained that she would need six weeks to leave her current position. Bingo! For Gary Shapiro, this response embodied the perfect balance between ambition and respect for his team. So, the next time you are asked this fateful question, think about it: wanting to impress by going for it could well be your worst pitfall.
