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Having interviewed thousands of job seekers throughout her 15-year career, Emily Levine said that these warning signs indicate a lack of attention to detail that presents the candidate in a negative light.
Emily Levine employs people with high net worth and celebrity. (Representative Image)
Interviewing for a job is a two-way affair, you interview your prospective employer and boss just as much as they interview you. After all, you want a proper job, not just any work. Recently, Emily Levine, executive vice president of Career Group Companies, a recruiting firm based in Los Angeles, talked candidly about the types of warning signs or red flags she sees through the hiring process.
High-net-worth individuals, such as A-list celebrities, are among Levine’s clientele. She recruits nannies, chiefs of staff, personal assistants and more for them.
“I definitely have interviewed thousands and thousands of people throughout my 15-year career,” Levine told CNBC Make It, adding that she might not check a resume that is not presentable.
Emily Levine’s red flags consist of typos and misspelt words. “I’ve seen somebody spell their own name wrong,” she said, adding, “I’ve seen somebody spell the name of their university incorrectly, or the company that they worked for.” This demonstrates a lack of attention to detail, which reflects negatively on the candidate, she highlighted.
A single spelling error on a resume might be tolerated, but more than that “doesn’t look good,” the senior executive said, adding that “it would discourage a company from meeting with a candidate.” Although Levine occasionally assists in pointing out mistakes to applicants, she advises all job seekers to “go back and double check all the information to make sure it’s accurate” before submitting any documents.
According to Levine, another red flag exists on the resume – which is ‘lying on the resume’. “Don’t try to fudge the dates [to] make a gap seem shorter between jobs, and don’t claim to have a degree if you don’t or are about to finish one,” she mentioned.
Levine claimed that some people lie because they are “embarrassed to say they don’t have” a degree. However, a background check will reveal the truth, endangering any career prospects. She remarked, “I’ve witnessed innumerable offers being withdrawn from (such) candidates.”
