Recently, we had been invited to give some career talks at public universities and private colleges. These talks are usually arranged by the Student Affairs Department. Most of the time, the topics are pretty generic, ranging from preparation of resume to the common questions to be expected in an interview. However, in one particular incident, a Senior Officer of a private college specifically requested us to explore the subject of ethics. Why? Apparently, they had a situation whereby a company selected 30 graduates from the college for interviews last year. However, not even one turned up and neither did anyone called. It was one of those incidents that the Senior Officer would not wish to see a repeat in the future.

Is there such a thing called Job hunting ethics? Yes, there is and it is closely related to the word integrity. A resume, cover letter and interview - all these job hunting processes provide an opportunity for a job seeker to sell himself or herself - his/her qualification, knowledge, skills, manner and integrity. Committing any blatant breach of ethics or protocol may have long-term ramifications on one’s career, his/her reputation and of course, for fresh graduates, the college’s reputation. Though a lot of us may ignore this subject as ethics are commonly associated with common sense but as we discovered during the career talks, not all people possessed the same kind of common sense.

Ok, let’s see how much you had understood job hunting ethics.

First scenario:-

You had an interview arranged by a Recruitment Consultant. On the day of interview, you were not feeling well. What do you do?

(a) Call the employer to explain the situation and request the interview to be arranged on another day

(b) Did not show up for interview

(c) Send an email to the Recruitment Consultant to cancel the appointment

Keeping posted is important as this is somehow lost in today’s culture. So, (a) is the answer. In situation such as this, an email is not sufficient. The Consultant may not check the email at all. Even an sms falls short. It is only courteous to make the call personally. And don’t get your boyfriend and girlfriend to call on your behalf too unless you are too sick to even get yourself a drink.

Second scenario:-

You attended two interviews with A and B companies and both companies have expressed interest in hiring you. Company A came back to you first and offered you the job and you accepted company A’s offer. Before you sign the contract, Company B makes you an offer, with a RM200 more in salary. What do you do?

(a) Don’t sign the contract and accept Company B’s offer.

(b) Call company A and tell them you are no longer interested. Reason given was another company has offered you a RM200 more in salary.

(c) Reject Company B offer and tell them that you had already accepted another offer.

The answer is (c). KEEP YOUR WORD! To accept a position and then renege on it for a better offer is poor form. Believe me, it’s a small world and you would not want to be labeled as a candidate that can be bought over with money easily later in your career. What do you do in such situation? Best advice: accept offers only after careful consideration. Think critically rather than grabbing the first offer out of fear or desperation. It is unethical to continue to interview after accepting an offer and/or to renege on an accepted position. Company B will respect you for that. Who knows? The same company may have a senior position in the future and you may be applying for the job then. You probably stand a better chance for the ethics you hold firmly at the beginning of your career.

Third Scenario:-

You have been short listed for an interview at employer’s office after attended an on-campus interview. During the on-campus interview, you were very keen on the job and you managed to convince the employer accordingly. But now, the more you thought about the job, you find neither the organization nor position is for you. What shall you do?

(a) Go for the interview anyway and pretend you are still interested.

(b) Ignore the interview completely as the employer would have also short listed other candidates.

(c) Tell the recruiter that you have changed your mind and do not wish to pursue this opportunity.

The answer is (c). At this stage of the process, it is not unethical for you to decline the offer to meet up at the office.

Fourth Scenario:-

During an interview, you are asked to give an example of a part-time job experience, but you never had that exact experience. What do you do?

(a) Make something up.

(b) Reinterpret the question to something you are more comfortable with and answer that question.

(c) Acknowledge that you have not had this experience, but offer the closest experience you have had.

The answer is (c). Telling your employers what you think they would like to hear or what you think will get you the job is not productive for you or the employer. If they discovered that you have been less than honest, you may be disqualified immediately.