In a Buyer’s Market, Do You Sell Yourself?

It may be a buyer’s market for employers, but as candidates do we still need to concede to all their demands and asking price? Yes, the looming mortgage and car payments weigh heavy on our minds, but at what price are we willing to sell our skills and talents?

A few weeks ago, I posted about a real experience of an interviewer that showed little regard to me as a candidate and left me wondering, “If they do this to candidates, how must they treat their employees?”

I’ve always viewed the interview process as free PR for the company and believe that even if you don’t get the job or can’t hire all the good, talented people, the interview can be a positive experience for all parties involved. However, in today’s buyer’s market, it seems that common decency and respect for the candidate are seriously lacking. So how likely would you to be turned off from an opportunity or company, if the interviewer did one or more of the following?

1) Leaves you sitting in the lobby for 20 minutes past your scheduled time
2) Fumbles through reams of paper to locate your resume
3) Answered a call during the middle of your interview
4) Requests to reschedule the interview the day you’re scheduled to go in
5) Doesn’t give you an opportunity to ask questions
6) You go onsite, interview with the team and you never hear from them again.
7) You’re asked to come in multiple times to speak with everyone imaginable then get a standard decline letter via e-mail.

As for me, I decided that I didn’t want to work for a company that had such little respect for me and my time. I kindly sent a note, “based upon my interactions with the organization, I do not feel that this is the right place for me.” Sometimes we may have to sacrifice a cappuccino or a new pair of shoes to get buy, but sacrificing ourselves should not have to be an option.