Punk Rock HR’s Best Advice for Job Seekers

Posted on 9. July 2009 by Laurie Ruettimann

I want to thank you for giving us your best advice for job seekers. You guys are awesome. Seriously, the list is an amazing collection of tips from HR professionals, recruiters, job coaches, and regular old joes.

My best advice? Stop being needy.

No one is doing you a favor by interviewing you.
When you are speaking to a potential employer, remind yourself that you don’t need the job.
If you really needed a job, you would work at Wal-Mart.

Work is an exchange of goods & services. Your company exists to make a profit, and you work to earn money so you can support the things in life that have the most meaning for you.

Too many of us are involved in co-dependent relationships with our previous employers. We bring that psychological baggage into our interviews. There’s no bigger turn-off than a clingy, needy, desperate candidate who lacks confidence and self-awareness.

If you lack meaning in your life, and if you feel disconnected from the ones you love, a job will not fill that void. Dump those insecurities, re-prioritize your life and think about why you’re working, and engage each potential employer with a sense of determination and confidence.

I know you can do it.