Executives, you have so many skills and experiences, you don’t need the fancy ego during your job search. Quite the opposite. You need humility, kindness, flexibility and an unrelenting focus on the customer. Today the hiring manager is the customer.
I’m Dana Manciagli, author of Cut the Crap, Get a Job! and I’d like to share the three main attributes of egotistical executives in the job search process:
A. Entitled. I know you believe you “deserve” that next career opportunity. And you have a huge base of skills, knowledge, expertise, education, experiences and so much more. But you can’t let that show! Your credentials, conversations, networking and social media presence (LinkedIn) will do that for you. Bring all that pride and seniority to the job search process in a humble-yet-clear way.
B. Stand-Offish. Executives, your hiring managers, HR managers, recruiters and interviewers are most likely going to be younger than you. Do not EVER talk down to them, belittle, correct, or interrupt them. Homework: write down all of your experiences in helping other employees, mentoring, training and making others succeed. Weave those stories into your interviews.
C. Bragging. It is a well-known fact that bragging is a sign of insecurity. If you are truly confident (and you should be), you will be a great listener, unassuming, and eager to provide relevant and fact-based insights about your background, when appropriate.
You can do so much better and leave a much more lasting, memorable impression if you are genuine, likeable and humble. Best of luck!
