Stand up and shake

Q: I have one year of professional experience. I graduated from a good college in 2015. I was recently given really harsh feedback from a recruiter. The recruiter told me I didn’t advance in the selection process with a local company because I didn’t stand, introduce myself and shake the hiring manager’s hand when she entered the reception area. Isn’t that a bit harsh? To be excluded because of that? It took so many steps to even land this interview.

A: Well, you have learned a valuable lesson. Always, always, always…. stand up, maintain good eye contact, extend your hand, smile and clearly state, “I am John Smith. I am pleased to meet you.” Ok, I am being quite literal, but this is required in most professional workplaces. This greeting sets the tone. You are perceived as either a professional or not. Because you did not perform the expected greeting, the hiring manager probably made a quick decision about you. The decision was likely based on your overly casual approach to the initial greeting. She may have assumed you were not professional enough. Thankfully, you can easily correct the way in which you greet someone. Some men mistakenly assume that they should address a woman differently in a professional setting. Sometimes they avoid the handshake. This is also a mistake.

If a religious or medical reason prohibits a candidate’s ability to shake hands, a candidate should explain this request simply and quickly. The candidate should still stand up and greet the hiring representative warmly, with a greeting like: “Hi. I am John Smith. I am sorry I am just getting over poison ivy so it is best if I don’t shake hands today. Thank you for understanding. I am glad to be here at ABC Company and eager to learn more about the position of credit analyst.”‘

The saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” is true. The clothing you choose for an interview counts. Your promptness counts. How you first greet the interviewer counts. How you interact with the receptionist even counts.

Take the feedback the recruiter shared and learn from it. Better to know this now than sometime in the future.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section. 

Respond!

Q: I am a supervisor and have been hiring for a number of entry-level positions for a company south of Boston. We call and email candidates. They take their time getting back to us and then seem irritated when we have already move ahead with other candidates. Can you tell candidates who have submitted a resume to pick up their phones, clear out their voicemail inbox messages and to check their emails, even over the weekend? Some candidates take 2 to 3 days to get back to us and we already have candidates on our schedules to be interviewed.

A: I agree! It is probably my number one pet peeve on the candidate side of the recruiting process. A common complaint from candidates is that they feel there is a “black hole” when submitting a resume. However, on the employer side, employers can get easily frustrated when a candidate is unresponsive. Candidates should be checking voicemail and email daily, if not several times per day, even on weekends. Some recruiters will have the quiet time to reach out to candidates on weekends and it is always helpful when a candidate replies in a speedy manner. A full voicemail inbox is beyond frustrating! Unless there is a some type of family or personal emergency, a candidate should do their very best to return an email or a voicemail within 24 hours, if not sooner!

A prompt reply to a company’s voicemail or email demonstrates serious interest and a sense of urgency. “This is important to me!” is the message a candidate is sending to a prospective employer! A delayed response indicates that other matters are more important.

With cell phones, most of us can retrieve emails and voicemail messages quickly. Using technology wisely is smart with respect to a job search.

Candidates – you heard it here!

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

A resume fib comes back to haunt an employee

Q: Earlier in my career, I was given some bad advice about my resume. I attended four years of college but never earned an undergraduate degree. About 10 years ago, I changed my resume stating that I had an undergraduate degree. I was 99% there with my degree but never completed all of the requirements and thus never received a degree. I was told that my four years of college was the equivalent so I changed it on my resume. Now, 10 years later, my colleagues and manager assume that I graduated with a four-year degree, which I know I haven’t. There has been some talk about putting our personal work history and educational accomplishments on the website. Now I am getting really nervous. What should I do?

A: This is certainly a stressful position for you. Your situation illustrates how one error in judgment can haunt you years later. Four years of college does not equate to a degree, no ifs, ands or buts.

Here is what I would do. First, find out how far are you from the degree. One course that could be taken online or one course that could be taken over the summer? So get the facts. Maybe it is reasonable for you to complete the degree in a short amount of time.

Your employer may never find out. But if they find out, the outcome could be disastrous. You could be terminated on the spot, especially if you completed an application and stated that you held an undergraduate degree, or if you submitted a resume claiming that you earned an undergraduate degree.

I would ask for a one-on-one meeting with your manager. After researching what you need to do to complete your degree, own up to the fact that you have not completed the requirements. Explain that you received some bad advice many years ago but you are trying to complete the requirements in order to attain your degree. Now…. the big risk is that you could be terminated! Your manager may feel like you have mislead the company and you have. However, hopefully your manager will understand that you are taking steps to complete your degree. Disclosing this information is a risk.

There have been several high profile professionals who have not been completely candid either. The former CEO of RadioShack, David Edmondson, claimed he had two undergraduate degrees, when actually he didn’t have a degree at all. Edmondson resigned in 2006. Marilee Jones was the former dean of admissions at MIT for over 25 years. Jones had attended college for one year but never completed the bachelor’s or master’s degrees that she claimed. In 2007, Jones resigned after MIT discovered the discrepancy. MIT said an anonymous tip was the source of inquiry regarding Jones’ credentials.

This issue is no doubt causing you tremendous anxiety. However, hopefully others will read this and learn from your mistake.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

Three rights and three wrongs

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Candidate Blunders