We’re Not Hiring Your Recent Grad
Dear parents: Your kids are supposed to be entering the workforce and launching careers. Instead they’re met with a pandemic, a global recession, and surging unemployment. How can they find a job in a time like this? It’s difficult, but not impossible.
What follows are common mistakes we see new graduates make while applying and interviewing for jobs; any one of them can mean the difference between getting or not getting the job, and all of them are in your sons’ and daughters’ control!
This writing comes from a place of love, even though it’s going to be mostly tough love. I started my own small business (Mann Consulting) in 1991 and along with my brother Alex have grown the business and its sister company (Clicktime.com) to around 60 people. Our businesses have experienced surging growth as well and also weathered multiple recessions. On top of this, we’re based in one of the most competitive job markets in the country, in the most expensive rental and living market in the country. We have hundreds of ex-employees who have given us a great perspective on how a person behaves as a job candidate versus how they perform once hired. We’ve hired amazing interviewees who were complete failures, and we’ve barely hired other candidates who turned out to be utterly exceptional.
As of this writing, the world is experiencing a perfect storm of anxiety-ridden, socially distanced, unemployment spiked, attention-challenged, recessionary cities, jobs, and people. Your kids are home, bored, scared, and probably unmotivated. They’re about to jump headfirst into the job-rejection market.
If your child living at home, they’re already very lucky. They’re able to think about their future without fear of whether they’ll eat tonight, or if they’ll have a bed. I hope, with your help, that can foster gratitude instead of complacency. It’s very tempting to sleep in, watch some YouTube or Netflix, and not exercise.
Why address this to you, the parents, and not them? For one thing, they likely won’t see it. This isn’t being published on Snapchat, Instagram, or Tik Tok. A recent grad would probably read a few words of this and go, “Okay, boomer.”
Over the three decades that I’ve owned and run my consulting firm, many parents have shared with me their difficulties of their child landing a job. Some have asked me for a favor, to do an “informational interview.” I often say, “Sure, have them contact me” — and then I wait. I’m continually astounded at the lack of motivation, preparation and engagement by these students.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re great kids. They just are in completely unfamiliar territory. They don’t have a reference point. This is the only job market they “know” so they can’t determine if they’re lucky or unlucky, or if it’s easy or difficult right now. At the same time, I hear fellow business owners constantly tell me they’re struggling to find great people, saying how hard it is to find truly exceptional talent. I know that will a little extra motivation and preparation, some of these kids could be those people.
Businesses are desperate for great hires in every economy.
I’ve conducted thousands of interviews over the course of my career. I’ve seen all the ways that recent college grads and job applicants can hurt or eliminate their chances of getting the job — a job that they might have gotten otherwise! Here’s what I wish I could tell all those parents who reach out to me, about all the mistakes their children might be making and ways to avoid them.
PART 1: GETTING NOTICED
They write dull cover letters. The cover letter is the equivalent of the moment where the bouncer at the entrance of the nightclub decides if you’re getting in or not. It’s superficial, it may be dependent on their mood that day, but it’s fast and often a high-volume decision. That decision is one that we (owners, hiring managers, recruiters) make within a few seconds of receiving a cover letter, and often times may not even make it past the subject line in the in-box of their email. At my company, we don’t even look at the resumé if the cover letter is a bust. We’re not jerks, we’re just very busy.
So, we read these cover letters quickly, but they matter a lot. Here’s what to know about them. Confidence, polish, courtesy, who they know at the company — it all counts. Some start their letters “Dear sir or madam,” or “Dear hiring manager,” or “To whom it may concern.” No. Recycling cover letters doesn’t work. Copied and pasted phrases are easily recognized. The applicant has to do some research, figure out who is hiring, what their name is, and get their pronouns from a receptionist or directory if needed. The letter shouldn’t have effusive praise, and you can put down the thesaurus. A simple “I like your company” will suffice. Employers have read thousands of cover letters; we can instantly tell if a letter is authentic.
They embellish their experience, or inflate their resume. Answering phones at a temp job does not mean they were part of the product launch team. We can tell when someone is spinning things in an inorganic way, and if they do get a job they’re not qualified for, we’ll realize quickly that they’re wasting our time. That being said, they shouldn’t shy away from including their experiences, as long as its not disguised. Worked at McDonald’s? Put it on there. Employers love transferable skills. Church Fellowship? Include it. Employers love a strong ethical and moral foundation. Eagle Scout. Volunteer. Work they did that means something to them, not work that they did so their summers would look “busy.”
They’re not focused. It’s a turn-off when someone wants “any” job at our company. They should not say “I’m interested in whatever openings you have,” even if that’s the case. We want to see direction and intent. “I really want to do _____ for you, and my experience at _____ and ____ prepared me for it.”
They’re not asking their aunts and uncles. Do they know what kind of work their extended family does? Are there internships at their organizations? Have they called each family member to learn about their work? Don’ t assume that the category is irrelevant even if it doesn’t overlap with their field of study. Imagine bypassing the entire HR application process if a family member were to simply walk down the hall and say “my niece just graduated with an English degree and could help do some writing for you this summer.” Not even a pandemic can override the adage of “it’s who you know, not what you know.”
They get ahead of themselves. It’s brutal to go from top of your high school class to “one of many” at college. To then go from “prestigious university graduate” to “one of millions of unemployed, inexperienced people” is even harder. Start small: try to get an informational interview. That’s a good thing about Zoom — they’re relatively easy to have! No dressing up or commuting necessary, and it’s quieter out there, so executives have more time. Start with: “I want to be on your radar so that when your office starts hiring again, you’ve got someone ready to go.” What employer wouldn’t want to get things lined up in advance of an upturn in the economy? Don’t start out by seeking a full-time position — just a conversation.
PART 2: GETTING THE INTERVIEW
W
hat if they are fortunate to land an interview? Now the real work begins:
They haven’t prepared. Have they practiced interviewing with you? Did they ask you if their camera and microphone look and sound good? Did they verify that their sister won’t be clogging the WiFi with Netflix streaming during the interview? And do they actually know what they’re in for? You can’t ask, in an interview, “So, what to do you guys do?” (People actually do this!) They have to prepare and prepare more. Not everyone has the time, but if they do, they should use it.
They don’t network. Have them get a LinkedIn account, even if it’s sparse to start. They should certainly keep it truthful. Inviting us to link in before we know them is awkward for most employers, but it shows initiative. If they’ve interacted with us already in some way, an invite will be appropriate. If we have no reason to recognize their name, it’s going to be awkward and risk a “decline”. When a grad says to me “even if you don’t end up hiring me, I would love to stay in touch” it’s hard to turn them down. If they’re reluctant or embarrassed because they only have three connections, they have to get over that. We all had three connections before we had hundreds.
They assume we’re using the same technology. Ask them how they plan to interact with a potential employer. Will they call? Email? Will they use Twitter or a job search site for their communication? Search for their work background online. Google your own child’s name (put it in quotes.) If you cringe, we might too.
They ignore punctuality. Two minutes late is still late — we don’t know if they’re showing up at all. They should absolutely be slightly early to any scheduled Zoom call. If you are running late, a simple “Hi, I have an interview and unfortunately I am stuck/lost/late, would you kindly let ___ know that I am on my way?” is fine; the employer thinks “Wow, this person cares about details. We need that.” Most interviews these days are happening by videoconference, so if you’re running late on a previous meeting, put them on hold and let your next appointment/interview know you are running a few minutes late and thank them for their patience, or ask if they would prefer to reschedule. And once the employer joins a Zoom meeting, the applicant should be ready, microphone tested, lighting good, clean background, camera pointing just slightly downward, with no extraneous audio or street noise.
They don’t research. I’ll sometimes get asked “What do you do for the company?” To me, that’s a sign of lack of preparation, interest, or both. They should know about recent tweets, articles, news articles featuring the company or the interviewer, and most importantly: challenges to the business. If your son or daughter is discussing known issues impacting my specific industry, my talk with them will be a conversation instead of an interview. Then they’ll feel like a coworker — and that’s the best vibe an interview can achieve.
They ignore details. I get called Howard by 1 out of every 18 candidates (my name is Harold). This matters more than a GPA. Some employers leave a cup on the floor of the interview room to see if the candidate offers to pick it up. We ask our receptionist if the candidate was polite to them. (Of course, some of this is less relevant in the Zoom era, but still important.) Some employers insert typos intentionally inside job postings and ask people to find them; around 15% of candidates notice them. (If you’re showing this to your child, ask them if they can find the spelling error intentionaly included in this article.)
They ignore attire, or overdress. Leave the nose ring in. Seriously. They have to be themselves. Don’t be business formal and then surprise us on your first day with your regular look. We had a great employee whose daily wardrobe resembled a Cirque du Soleil performer. If a firm has a problem with the way your child dresses or looks, that’s already a sign it’s not going to be a fit. If it’s customer-facing position, however, they’ll need to consider that beforehand.
They don’t prepare good questions. “Where do you see the company in five years?” is not pertinent to why we should hire them. “If hired, what would you expect from me in the first two months?” is a great question and helps the interviewer pre-visualize having your son or daughter on the payroll. (Which helps you pre-visualize having them off your payroll!)
They don’t prepare references. If we can’t call the last employer because things ended “weird,” that’s a warning sign. We should be able (and encouraged) to speak with every previous employer, not just the ones they cherry pick. If your child has just graduated, their internship companies should be eager to sing their praises.
They don’t send a thank-you note. We still get a comically small number of handwritten thank-you notes. Your kid is making it so easy for the others who actually make that simple gesture. Is an email thank you a decent replacement? It shows intent, but it doesn’t show effort. A hand-written note takes time, multiple steps — we’re not looking for busy-work, we’re looking for genuine interest to separate them from casual “let me just apply to a lot of places” interest. We don’t need fancy or expensive: we’re looking for sincerity. Some have said this is a cultural differentiator to factor in etiquette, but everyone has the same access to Google “interview advice.” — if their goal is to cut through the clutter, this is a good way.
They’re not showing us how they’re remarkable. How in the world are they going to stand out amongst the other 180 applicants for this job? How are they going to stand out above someone with five years of experience? Few will. Your child might be remarkable for their love of their sport. Or building worlds in Minecraft. Or coding. Or being the primary caregiver for their grandmother. Remarkable isn’t GPA, it’s more intangible.
Prepare them for what a terrible numbers game this is. The bad news: it’s going to be hard to land a job. The good news: all you have to do is get ONE job, so keep trying and be prepared for a phenomenally difficult acceptance rate. Buy them a copy of Purple Cow by Seth Godin.
PART 3: AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Guess who knows what the best next steps are following the interview? The interviewer. Not you, not your kid.
They don’t request next steps: If they simply say, “What’s a good next step for me to do regarding your company?” then the interviewer will literally give them the ingredients. They need to write that down and follow it to the letter. If they aren’t exactly sure those steps mean, have them follow up — “I’m not quite clear on this part” — and get clarity, so that they don’t mess up the actionable items.
The interviewer might just say “Try me in six months.” To be fair, they have a lot on their plate and are probably playing defense. Meeting more people while their business is trying to keep their existing people busy isn’t top of mind. If they say a delaying phrase with a long period of time, encourage your child to say, “Would it be okay if I update you periodically with my progress in the interim?” They’ll almost certainly get an okay on that and your child will be able to keep the conversation going, even if it’s one-sided for a while. This is critical for remaining on a short-list of consideration. They don’t have to be the best candidate, they need to be easily remembered, located in an email inbox, and damn persistent.
They don’t follow-up. I’m a parent, I get it. Your kid is tired of you nagging them. But the sad truth is that so few candidates actually follow up in a timely manner. Don’t settle for “We’ll call you.” In addition to asking for next steps, they should ask, “When would you like me to check back with you?” and then do that diligently, energetically. I’m shocked at how timid graduates are. Graduates from the most prestigious schools ask me, “What is required in order to get the position?” as though it’s a college course with prerequisites. The real world isn’t like that. The more diligent B+ student may get the job because they chatted up the CEO at the same cafe every morning at 6:15am. The A+ student from the Ivy League school thinks the doors just automatically open.
It’s extremely hard to get a job, especially at a great company. It’s easy to submit an application, but it’s hard to break through the clutter. Add a pandemic or a recession and you’ve got a real “spray and pray” vicious cycle: The more people apply to lots of jobs because they expect a low response rate, the more employers will be rejecting quickly and broadly. Candidates often get caught up in this numbers game, applying to many companies at once. This depersonalizes and weakens each submission. Is it better to apply to 50 companies with six minutes of work on each application, or to five companies with an hour each for preparation? I recommend the latter. Encourage your child to dive in, read blogs, Twitter posts, do their homework and write a targeted note. They can engage with the CEO’s on Instagram or Twitter. They can be part of Slack communities, upvote articles or give sincere comments on social media content. All of this makes a difference.
PART 4: LIVING AT HOME
Like I’ve said, job applications are a numbers game, and statistically, they won’t get the job. They can (and should), however, politely request an explanation. Around 15% of employers will offer constructive feedback. It’s often policy not to, for legal reasons, but it’s worth asking.
Compassionate recruiters or employers may offer some helpful tips. Maybe it’s experience, or there was a resumé typo, or title inflation. The person may have demonstrated a tone of entitlement, or a lack of patience. Or maybe it’s an attitude issue, or the way they spoke condescendingly to the receptionist when asking for a key to the restroom. Don’t think your kid would ever do that? Few parents do. They don’t realize how casually their kids are taking the process, and how much good employers pay attention to those details.
I don’t envy the parents of today’s graduates. You’re in a tough spot. Your child likely believes that you just don’t get it and that your archaic perspective on how the world works is out of date and not applicable to today’s job market. You may feel like you’re the last person to whom they will listen. If you want to help your kid, get them to understand the process, get them to see things from the perspective of the person across the table. Ask them to do practice interviews with you.
They’re an incredible generation. They can ace their finals while chatting with eight different people over three different apps. They devour videos, podcasts, they can watch YouTube seminars, Khan Academy tutorials, learn marketing apps, programming languages, scripting, integrations. They can get mentors, participate in Reddit discussions on topics of interest, build their credibility. They can try to get coffee chats (even over Zoom) with executives before the workday starts. They can do all this. Whether they feel motivated to is another question.
The secret to getting hired is not so much a secret as it is just paying attention to things that matter.
I can’t tell you how many campus job fairs I’ve been to where I hand my business card to students and suggest they follow up with me, only to receive nothing from 80% of them. Five percent reply that very evening. The rest trickle in. Most expect everything to just happen automatically. In a booming economy, that may happen. At a posh school, they may get treated that way. In a pandemic with surging unemployment? That’s not going to cut it. When everyone around you is qualified, tenacity wins.
I truly wish them (and you) well. You may not be able to charge them rent for a while, but if you can help them land a great job, you and they can happily help move them out of the house and on their way.
RESOURCES:
There are entire bookstore shelves devoted to this topic.
Here are some popular books in the category:
Getting from College to Career
Here are some collections of job search podcasts:
7 Job Search Podcasts (Inc Magazine)
Job Interview Podcasts (PlayerFM)
Talks to watch before an interview (TED)
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Thank you to Chloe Pfeiffer for her editing.
Harold Mann is President of Mann Consulting, a consulting firm, started in 1991. The company provides technology solutions to creative professionals. His brother Alex and he also started a software-as-a-service (SAAS) business called Clicktime.com in 1999 which provides hosted timesheet and expense reports for thousands of small businesses.
Harold can be found on Twitter at @hmann, on Quora at Harold-Mann and LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/hmann
