Jobs lost over bad manners for graduates
(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-23 16:21

A large number of university students don't know how to conduct themselves at job fairs or interviews, and often whittle their chances of landing a job, according to human resource managers.

At job fairs held in Shanghai last weekend, some first-time job seekers were making cell phone calls while they submitted their resumes to recruiters. Others ask employers to send the resume back if they don't hire the applicants.

HR managers said many female applicants dress improperly for interviews, or wear too much make-up.

About 10 percent of students are either late for interviews or cancel them without notice.

Some individuals follow up interviews with a constant barrage of phone calls to see if they got the job, recruiters said.

"HR managers will feel irritated when seeing this kind of disrespectful behavior," said Miumiu Yu, an agent with Zhaopin.com, an online headhunting firm.

An HR manager surnamed Shen said that he has seen countless students with brilliant academic records lose the chance to land a job because they lack basic social manners.

He said one company he works with rejected a woman who had done well in the interview, because of her poor manners during a car ride back to the firm's office.