- They ask for your resume in Word format when you share it in PDF. They are completely capable of converting it to word, but they don’t want to. They don’t want to do the minimal amount of work to get paid.
- You give your resume in Word/PDF but they want you to add words so that you have all the words in their clients listing. If you do this, you won’t get an interview. This is what happens when they don’t have a relationship with the hiring manager, and hope that having all of the keywords will make them think you’re more skilled. Every time that I have added those words I have never been interviewed. Because recruiters have at least 3 people and they tell that to everyone, so there is no advantage to you to do this.
- You have as many interviewers as the company wants sometimes 10 or more, and you have another company offer you a job with them. Just accept it. When I have gone back and told the first company that I was offered a job, they said “We need to complete more interviews before we decide.” If a company can’t decide after 3 interviews, they have issues.
- Discuss that a company doesn’t have a good enough reputation to work for them. I don’t work for companies that don’t score at least 3.5 on Glassdoor. When I have, I have regretted it. They will try to gaslight you that those scores are meaningless. No they aren’t.
- Work with recruiters who ask illegal questions. Some recruiters are international and don’t know US laws. The first time they ask an illegal question I tell them that US law says that is an illegal question. The second time I say thank you but i am not interested. If a recruiter doesn’t know the law, they won’t protect you from illegal behavior.
- Work with recruiters who ask you to lie. Surprisingly most recruiters ask you to lie. They ask you to highlight your experience in one technology and to leave off other technologies, which makes it appear that you focused on one thing at a company. Recruiters love to lie by omission, and making it appear you are focused on one set of skills and ignoring the others.
- Having unrealistic salary expectations. I always ask the range for a position and today I was told 100k for a job that at the very least is 140k. I said I am not interested and that was that. Ask for location, duties and salary up front and don’t waste time with people who won’t share that. I guarantee you won’t like their answer later.
- Avoid recruiters who ask for your references up front. No references should be given until you get an interview. If that is insufficient, then say thank you and move on. You can’t wear out your references.
- Ask you to do a video interview with an AI or non person. I tried that twice and nothing happened with the job. Companies that do this are a waste of time.
- Try to gaslight anything that you want or need. I have had recruiters say that I am lazy for doing WFH even though I have health issues. That I am greedy for turning down their joke of a salary. That I am stupid for not having the skill that they said was a nice to have. These are all comments and experiences from recruiters who choose to talk to me. I didn’t reach out to them. If I didn’t have what you needed, why did you contact me? Who is the stupid one? If a recruiter makes you feel bad, that is a red flag and the strongest reason to avoid them and say no.