When it comes to bagging a new job, the process can be pretty daunting; once you’ve finally polished your CV, included a cover letter and managed to make yourself look great on paper, you may be lucky enough to land yourself an interview, which opens up a whole load more potential pitfalls.
As one bloke discovered when he managed to completely muck up his interview before even making it past the reception desk. Not ideal.
The unlucky job-hunter revealed that he got himself bumped from the candidate’s list after failing to pass one company’s trick to weed out the wrong sort of person.
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And it all came down to how friendly the candidates were to those they met.
The tale was shared on the Reddit 'Life Pro Tips' forum, and it reads as follows: "Today, a candidate blew his interview in the first 5 minutes after he entered the building."
An employee explained: "He was dismissive to the receptionist. She greeted him and he barely made eye contact. She tried to engage him in conversation. Again, no eye contact, no interest in speaking with her.
"What the candidate did not realise was that the 'receptionist' was actually the hiring manager.
"She called him back to the conference room and explained how every single person on our team is valuable and worthy of respect.
"Due to his interaction with the 'receptionist', the hiring manager did not feel he was a good fit. Thank you for your time but the interview is over.
"Be nice to everyone in the building."
Talk about catching a red flag early!
It's hard to understand why the bloke in question would have been so dismissive of the receptionist in the first place. Even if he got the job, he'd have to see this receptionist that he was rude to every day - and surely, as in every office, word gets around.
A comment on the post made just this point.
It read: "I'll add as someone who's been on every step of the hiring ladder, even if the receptionist wasn't the hiring manager, that receptionist will still get her two cents in at the water cooler while decisions are being made.
"In a few fields I've worked in, it wasn't just the people in the conference room that were consulted before making an offer.
"Be on point at all times, every employee is a potential team mate and they're all assessing you."
Indeed, recruiters are as keen to hire people who fit in with the team as they are to take on someone with a glittering CV, so it's never a good idea to give anyone the cold shoulder.
Plus, you can never really know how many eyes are on you once you step through that door.
Another Reddit user added: "A few jobs ago, I caught the elevator on my way to the interview. The chatty guy in with me... company CEO.
"I got the job, luckily I am all high energy and friendly when nervous, so he liked me even before I saw him a few hours later. Be nice to everyone."
Claire Reid