Is Your Attitude Holding You Back?

If you’re applying for tech jobs and getting interviews, but not receiving offers, you may be wondering what’s going wrong. The fact is, landing a job is about more than just your resume. It’s also about the image and attitude you project in the interview. If you aren’t having luck in your job search, it might be time to adjust your attitude.

Attitude Adjustment: The Blame Game

Hiring managers like to ask candidates about mistakes and failures. However, they are less interested in the actual mistake than the way you handled yourself in that situation. If you tend to blame others for your failures or shortcomings, it shows you aren’t self-aware or a team player.  

Attitude Adjustment: Sweating the Small Stuff

When asked to discuss challenges or problems you have experienced in your career, keep things in perspective.  Every problem is not a crisis, but if you make mountains out of molehills or become non-functional when a small challenge arises, you’re not going to advance your career. Sweating small problems drains you of the energy you need to be good at your job and wastes time. Show you can assess a problem calmly and respond accordingly, rather than react emotionally.

Attitude Adjustment: Ego Problems

Everyone has to pay their dues and work their way up the ladder, and no one, no matter how talented they are, is entitled in the workplace. If you carry the attitude you are somehow above your role, your work is beneath you, or you deserve more simply because you’re talented, you won’t land a job. Check your ego at the door and keep your expectations realistic. Remember, it’s good to be confident, but you don’t want that confidence to come across as arrogance.

Your Reputation May Precede You

Your attitude at your current job could also be impacting your ability to advance your career. Remember, employers conduct reference checks, and if your peers and supervisors don’t have positive things to say about your attitude, it will hurt your chances of receiving an offer. If you recognize your attitude in interviews needs to be adjusted, it’s quite possible your overall attitude could also use a tune-up.

Are You Looking for a Tech Job in Chicago?

If you are a skilled tech professional looking for IT jobs in Chicago, and you feel like you are spinning your wheels, the recruiters at CultureFit can help. Our team will match you with great opportunities at top organizations in the region, and we can help you improve your interviewing skills to make the best impression possible. Contact us today to get started.