Application: If you accept a job prematurely, you will damage your career
Created: 01/16/2023, 07:30
By: Carina Blumenroth
You have an interview and could take the job – actually you have doubts, but accept anyway.
That can hurt your career.
Sometimes the job search can be grueling - on the one hand you have your wishes and ideas for a dream job, on the other hand you have current world events and the high prices for energy and food in your head.
It may be the case that you sign the contract when the first job offer comes along.
This can be a form of "blind signing" (dt. blind signing), what that is exactly, you will find out below.
This can harm companies and your career.
Job acceptance: Signing the contract too quickly can harm your career
A hasty contract signing can harm your career.
© Andrey Popov/Imago
Have you signed your employment contract even though you are not 100% convinced of the position?
The career coach Dr.
Bernd Slaghuis on his own website "Blind Signing" - every second person who seeks support from him should be affected.
For some, the tasks are different than agreed or the pressure is too high.
Some employees resigned after the probationary period, while others held out longer.
The fact that the job and the employees do not go together is not a completely new problem.
A study on job satisfaction by the recruitment
agency Avantgarde Experts
has shown that one in five wants to change jobs because job and person do not go together.
Don't miss anything: You can find everything about careers in the regular career newsletter from our partner Merkur.de.
Blind Signing: Contracts are concluded without sufficient information
The consequences of a quick conclusion of contract are not to be scoffed at, both for employees and for companies.
Loss of money and time on the part of the company, on the part of the employees there is then a short employment relationship in their curriculum vitae, which they have to explain.
A quick conclusion of a contract usually results from the fact that insufficient information was exchanged in advance and so both sides do not know exactly what to expect.
Slaghuis shares a typical statement from clients on its own website, one of which is the following: "There was only one online interview and then they sent me the contract".
In this case, the application process may have been too short, Slaghuis suspects.
With some companies, for example, you only submit a CV for the application or the online profile on the Xing or LinkedIn networks is sufficient.
Slaghuis writes: "It's good that applying is becoming easier and less fearful of the tough exam.
But this must not lead to job changers and employers making their decisions about an employment contract too rashly, hastily or superficially.”
Possible reasons for blind signing: Fear of gaps in your CV
HR managers wanted to quickly sign a contract for their company so that the position could be filled quickly, which could be the case in the context of the shortage of skilled workers.
At the same time, applicants are too panicky, Slaghuis criticizes on its own website.
Some are afraid of a CV gap or find the application process grueling with trawling through job ads or ghosting after an application.
Slaghuis can understand that, but it shouldn't lead to blind signing of contracts.
Possible contrasts could also exacerbate the situation for individuals on the job market, as Philipp Riedel, CEO of
Avantgarde Experts
, says in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA.
“We have a crisis, but full employment.
We have a shortage of skilled workers and an insane demographic development.
A lot is changing, but on the other hand there is still a great need for security.
On the one hand, employees want to earn a lot of money, which has good reasons.
On the other hand, a high level of security is wanted.
These are all things that didn't exist in the past in the hardship," says Riedel, describing the situation.
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Superficial conversations encourage blind signing
In job interviews, the CV of applicants is asked and discussed, what is missing, but common goals and what the future should look like in the company.
Also, some of the tasks are vaguely worded and the applicants are not clear even after a few interviews, says Slaghuis.
One question could help: "How will you determine in six months time that I'm doing a good job here?" As Slaghuis describes, you are directly addressing expectations.
Tips to avoid blind signing
applicant | employer |
|---|---|
Self-reflection: What is important to you? | Reflection: Which employees are you looking for? |
Clarify tasks in detail | Look beyond the resume |
Ask questions (goals, expectations) | Creating transparency (tasks, expectations) |
Get to know leadership culture | Integrate team into application process |
Source: Bernd Slaghuis, LinkedIn
LinkedIn user reactions to blind signing
User: "People sometimes take more time to plan their vacation than to think about their career."
User: "Many employers don't even know what is required in the job.
With one I specifically asked about the Office version (for the IT support job) and which add-ins will be used: Answer from the company: 'No idea, I think MS Office 2013'."
User: "I think that happens especially often in times like these, which feel very uncertain."
User: "I'm not surprised about that.
Because I can't look into the minds of HR managers and labor demanders.
There is a suitable answer to every question and every wish.
Everything is always peace, joy, pancakes.”
