​I really cannot believe that we are in the second last month of 2019.

​I hope everyone enjoyed the summer season with family, friends, traveling - really just doing things that you enjoyed and allowed you to #pauseandreset.

Last month in a Tovey Talks first, I decided to do a part 2-part blog series on interview mistakes & recommendations.

Although I wrote this with employees/employer in mind, for my freelancers these same recommendations should be considered when trying to secure that deal with a potential client. Here are the remaining 2. Enjoy!

​Mistake #4
Speaking Negatively About An Employer

​Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
 
Out of all the mistakes & recommendations, I know this one can be the most challenging especially when you sincerely have had nightmare employer and/or employment experiences, but I promise you have nothing to gain professionally or personally by going down the route of negativity.

​Fast Company shared 5 level-headed recommendations on how to bring up a nightmare boss during an interview.
 
1. Be Honest (Within Reason)
When asked about a bad employer, you should be honest, but not go overboard. No one can realistically have the expectation that a potential candidate will only have positive employer experiences and there is nothing wrong with talking about it in an objective, non-emotional way.
 
2. Avoid Giving Unnecessary Information
When you find yourself in a situation where you feel you were overlooked for a promotion, an immediate reaction could be to criticize the successful candidate. Instead of looking bitter and immature, focus on the fact that you are seeking to find a new challenge that may exist elsewhere.
 
3. Turn the Negative Into a Positive
I have a saying “it is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it”. Although at the time it may not’ feel like it, every bad job experience led me to me making the decision in 2015 to start building my own virtual empire. The convenience of building my life around work and not the other way around, has allowed me to be with elderly mother on the other side of Canada, that has limited mobility due to Osteoarthritis. anytime I want. #blessed
 
4. Remember What You Enjoyed
The reasons why I stayed in positions that were not fulfilling and/or with disreputable companies as long as I did was because I genuinely enjoyed my co-workers and the transferable knowledge I was gaining. Although there was many days I did not feel valued, I just focused on developing mutually beneficial working relationships and positively contributing to the work environment. It was this attitude that I have been able to have the opportunity to call on the same references when needed for over 10+ years now.
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5. Say What You’re Looking for Instead
Rarely are people only looking for the exact same job with a new boss. Instead of saying what you are looking for express what you hope to get out of a new job. For example, mentioning, a desire for more responsibility, a structured schedule, or a better opportunity for advancement. These are all ways to mention negative problems, but show you are looking for solutions.

If you enjoyed this series and want to see more, send me a Facebook post on my page and share with me some other topics you would like to me to do a series on.

I would love the opportunity to fellowship with you.  For a free consultation to discuss your career needs, please book your appointment here.

Late last year when I saw an article pop up in my inbox with “Ghosting” in the title, I was high key confused and said to myself “When did LinkedIn add online dating to their business model?” Clearly the title intrigued me enough to click and learned that the classless practice had unfortunately crossed over into the workplace.

For those asking “What is Employer Ghosting?” USA Today describes it as what happens when job candidates “blow off” potential work opportunities in a hot job market. Some examples of this new workplace phenomenon, include, but are not limited to the following:

• The applicant chooses not to show up for a scheduled interview.
• The candidate signs and returns the offer, but then doesn’t show up or call on the first day of work.
• Existing employees just stop showing up to work.
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Historically it was the employer that was ignoring applications of qualified candidates or bypassing post-interview formalities, but with job openings surpassing the number of job seekers and unemployment rates at the lowest in some areas, the tides have definitely turned.

In this week of Tovey Talks, I will approach this topic from the candidate’s perspective. When I was younger, I applied for that I 100% knew I had no interest in doing; therefore, I had no qualms about shutting down all communications with an employer that I may have already started the recruitment process with (I know - cover eyes).

About 2 years ago, I remember applying for a position through an agency in which the Recruiter would not even send me the job description until I signed an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). I had a total of 3 interviews including with the HR Director of the Employer.

During the final interview, I met with everyone at the 2 previous interviews, as well as the manager I would be working for. Can you believe after that day, no one from either the Agency or the even the Employer replied back to my many follow-ups to find out of if I was successful. The way I found out the status was that the job was re-posted through a different agency. I remember how upset and disappointed I was, but I am a big believer in the power of reaping and sowing – so the outcome was inevitable.

What did I learn from this experience, and what can you to prevent his from happening to you?

Do not focus on just the job responsibilities itself when applying for a position, look at other essential elements that make up your idea of the “ideal job”. This will put you in the position to ask the necessary questions in order to decide if you even want to consider an interview.

​For example, if you are ambitious, is there opportunity to move up? If you giving back is important to you, what is the employer’s stance on social corporate responsibility? By taking this approach, you will only be considering positions worth your time and will be more inclined to keep the lines of communication open during the recruitment and selection process.

After never hearing back from Recruiter mentioned above, I got an email from her a few months later. She explained to me how she left the agency she was with previously. She said she remembered me and was curious if I would be interested in this new opportunity she was working on. I decided to pay her the courtesy that she didn’t to me: a professional reply clearly explaining my decision to pass on this potential opportunity.

With this incident, I came to understand the importance of not burning bridges. Even though payback at times seems tempting, leaving an employer/recruiter hanging is not the way to go.

I would love the opportunity to fellowship with you. For a free consultation to discuss your career needs, please book your appointment here.