How to Get a Job, Part IV: No No's

A week into holding interviews, here are a few things I've had happen that pretty much disqualify you for the job:

1. Fail to read the job posting. The posting said that you need to be a US citizen right up there at the top. You're not a US citizen? I don't feel sorry that you just drove an hour to get here.

2. Fail to understand what an interview is. Don't send me an email half an hour before the interview asking me if it is a real interview or a phone interview, and then asking to reschedule since I actually want to meet you. I'll still meet this guy, but he just dropped down to the bottom of the pile.

3. Be nervous. I know understand this little bit of performance anxiety, but get over it. I like confident applicants that act like they've done this before; they tend to do better under pressure when they get the job. If you're afraid of me, just wait until the owner of the company tells you that he needs a miracle five minutes ago.

4. Dress unprofessionally. Seriously: go put on that suit. You've lost me when you show up in jeans.

5. Ask me how to make a resume. I came across someone and mentioned that I was hiring. Just so happens he was looking, so I gave him my email address and told him to send me his resume. His response? "I've never made a resume, what should I put on it?" Sorry - a professional knows how to do this, and I'm not going to babysit.

6. Send me a resume that I can't read. That's right, I actually got a resume with no file extension or other type information. And you want a position at a software company?

7. Show up blind. We put a lot of effort into our website. Take five minutes to find out a little bit about our company.