My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last twelve years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, average placement is $200,000+, and last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars.  Over the last 12 years I placed roughly 800 executives.

Have you ever interviewed and thought, “Why didn’t I get a job offer?  I was definitely the best candidate.”  Based on my experience, here are five of the most common reasons candidates don’t get the job offer.

Let Go and Let God – This may not be the #1 reason, however it is a 100% deal breaker: badmouthing your former employer or boss. Interview over.  Never, ever say anything negative about a former boss or employer.  You want to be right…or you want to be President?  Well, throwing your last employer under the bus may soothe your ego; however it will paint you in a bad light. You are NOT the GM of the Universe.  Your purpose is to find a new career opportunity, NOT to “get them back.”  Let go and let God.  As my Dad used to say, “They will get what’s coming to them.  No need for you to help.”

Integrity – Another complete and total deal breaker. A CEO once told me, “If they don’t have integrity, I don’t care how talented and brilliant they are.”  Integrity has become a high profile issue over the last few years.  I first noticed it during Depression 2.0 in 2008.  Candidates spinning the truth, being less than forthcoming, flat out lying.  Here is the thing. You are going to get caught. One example is candidates that list colleges on their CV that they “attended.”  If you don’t have a college degree, don’t list the college.  Another example is titles.  Don’t put “Chief Marketing Officer” and say, “well, I’m the de facto CMO because we don’t have one” when you are really a VP.  Finally, don’t lie about your compensation.  When asked for your current base salary, don’t give your total compensation package and act like you didn’t understand the question.  These are all real life examples I have seen on multiple occasions.  The hiring company is going to validate your education, title, tenure and compensation.  If you were not 100% honest, they will drop you from consideration.  If you were already hired, you will be terminated.

Ego is the Enemy – So what is the definition of ego? “An unhealthy belief in your own importance.  Self-focused with a disregard for anyone else.  Arrogance; self-centered ambition.”  But what about Steve Jobs and Kanye West?  In his book Ego is the Enemy author Ryan Holiday states that although there are exceptions to the rule, most arrogant people end up being failures.  And after 12 years as an Executive Recruiter, I would agree.  Being a narcissistic megalomaniac may work for a while, however the best long-term strategy is to be humble and genuine.  Nobody likes the smartest guy in the room.

Companies Hire Smiley, Happy People – Bitter and angry is NOT attractive. If you are angry about being terminated from your last job, take some time off and pull yourself together.  I once had a candidate that was laid off after 25 years at a company.  He got paid out and was in a great spot…except that his ego could never get past getting laid off.  Eventually I gave up on him as a candidate.  This was years ago, and he is still unemployed.  Your old boss is not obsessing about you.  Don’t let it affect your life going forward.  Companies hire smiley, happy people.

Everything Happens for a Reason – Assuming you are a strong candidate, the most common reason you did not get the job: there was a candidate better suited for the role. You probably don’t believe that, however I see it every single day.  For senior management roles, there may be three, five, ten highly qualified candidates.  These days most of the candidates are technically qualified, so it’s more about cultural fit.  And the X Factor: companies hire people they like.  You may be the most qualified candidate, however they may LIKE another candidate better.  I see highly qualified executives beat out by the “we like them better” clause on a regular basis.  But keep in mind, everything happens for a reason.

My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last twelve years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, average placement is $200,000+, and last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars. Prior to owning an Executive Recruiting company I was a hiring manager with Fortune 500 companies for 20 years. Translation, I know both sides of the desk.

Recently someone commented, “You write self-help articles for candidates, highlighting all the common mistakes. But you have never written an article about Executive Recruiters and some of the sleazy things they do to candidates and hiring companies.” True statement! And although most Recruiters are top notch, a few bad apples tend to spoil the bunch. So here you go, my ten commandments for being a Recruiter of integrity.

Thou Shalt Not Lie to the Customer – Integrity is a major issue these days, with both candidates and Recruiters. Some Recruiters will say anything and everything to get a deal closed. They have a quota, and if they don’t sell…they don’t eat. So they tell the hiring company, “This guy is smarter than Warren Buffett and Bill Gates combined!” Is that ethical? Absolutely not. There are plenty of candidates that I would not represent that simply walked down to the next street corner and found another Recruiter to help them.

Thou Shalt Not Lie to the Candidate – The Recruiter tells the candidate, “This company is absolutely phenomenal!” Why? Because if they told the truth about how poorly the company is managed, and the dreadful state of their financials, they would never fill the job. Remember, they have a quota and have to make their numbers.

Thou Shalt Not Poach Where You Eat – If the ABC Company is your customer, it’s not appropriate to poach their executives. Most Recruiters actually have this in the contract. There are exceptions, such as an executive that needs to relocate to be closer to an ailing parent. Riddle me this? Do you really want an employee on payroll if they are unhappy? Let ‘em go!

Thou Shalt Not Make Your Sales Quota the Customer’s Problem – I once had a Recruiter tell me, “My quota is a million this year, how much are you going to help me with?” Kid you not. This high pressure, Glengarry Glen Ross sales tactic is the number one reason Recruiters get a bad name.

Thou Shalt Not Submit Unsolicited Resumes – BAD mojo! In the old days a Recruiter would fax an executive’s resume to every company in town. He now “owned” that candidate at all those companies. If any of the company’s hired the executive, the Recruiter got paid. Unsolicited resume means the company did NOT engage the Recruiter for a search. Typically, the Recruiter saw an online posting, and then started sending over resumes without authorization. A Recruiter should never submit the resume of a candidate without prior written authorization.

Thou Shalt READ the Job Description – Once met with a CIO that told me a Recruiter sent over five candidates, none of which was remotely qualified for his open position. He asked, “Do you think he even read the job description?”

Thou Shalt Not Throw Spaghetti at the Wall – The most important asset we have….is TIME. Some recruiters send you “what they have” as opposed to “what you asked for.” Personally, if I don’t have a candidate that is a great match, I prefer not to send anyone at all. Never, ever waste a hiring manager’s time.

Thou Shalt Only Work on Jobs You Actually HAVE – This is known as FISHING. A Recruiter cold calls executives about this “high level executive position” he is working on. Truth is, there is no job. The Recruiter is just trying to make contacts and act like he has influence…but he doesn’t. NEVER take a cold call from an Executive Recruiter. If you don’t know any Recruiters, ask your industry contracts for a reputable one.

Thou Shalt Not Drop Names of People You Don’t Know – Don’t you love the Recruiter that cold calls you and acts like he is your best friend? Starts name dropping like the two of you were in a fraternity together on college? Truth is, you never heard of this guy. Click.

Thou Shalt Not Leave the Candidate Hanging – How many times has a Recruiter left you hanging and after you invested hours of your time interviewing? To my mind, every candidate should be given graceful closure, one way or the other. It’s a real hot button with me. Treat the candidates with the same respect you treat your customers.