Job Seekers Can Learn From The Mistakes

With the second season of The Apprentice coming to a close, ExecuNet, the executive job search network, encourages the showís millions of viewers to consider how they can strengthen their own job search skills by learning from the tactical errors made by the showís contestants as they endured the 15-week interview process.

ìWhile The Apprentice is designed to captivate and entertain a television audience, the show does bring to light some common mistakes candidates make in traditional interviews,î says Lauryn Franzoni, Managing Director of ExecuNet. ìEliminating these mistakes is critical to gaining a competitive advantage over the competition in a job search.î

ExecuNet advises job seekers to avoid three mistakes that proved to be costly for contestants on this seasonís Apprentice:

1. Pricing Yourself Out Of The Market

Whether youíre trying to sell designer clothing, candy bars, or your ability to solve a potential employerís problems during a job interview, pricing is a critical component to your success. Prior to starting a job search, determine how much money youíre worth, how much you want, and what youíre willing to concede. To avoid pricing yourself too high or low - obtain accurate salary data from a variety of sources, including contacts in your network - to calculate your value in the market.

2. Forgetting The Basics

To earn the confidence of an interviewer you need to prove that 1) youíre capable of doing the job effectively and 2) youíll ìfit inî with the culture of the company. If the hiring manager has doubts about either one of these two fundamental requirements - it will be difficult, if not impossible, to advance to the next round of interviews regardless of how well youíre dressed, where you received your MBA, or the most recent title listed on your resume.

3. Underestimating The Importance Of Attitude

A positive attitude can go a long way toward helping you leave an interviewer with a lasting impression that youíre a professional who is confident, competent, and decisive - all points of distinction that will separate you from a field of candidates with similar levels of experience. Candidates who complain or make negative remarks about a former employer or colleague are usually eliminated from the screening process, as most hiring mangers will see this as a sign of a poor team player and an early indication that the candidate could poison company morale.

In September, ExecuNet assembled a panel of career management experts that included Karen Armon (Denver, CO), Arnold Boldt (Rochester, NY), Linda Dominguez (Irvine, CA), Meg Montford (Kansas City, MO), Dan Squires (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), and Jean Walker (Portland, OR) to help viewers improve their own job searches by learning from mistakes make during each episode of The Apprentice. Their weekly insights can be found at http://www.execunet.com/e_resources_apprentice_nm.cfm

To speak with a career management professional about theses lessons in more detail, please contact Troy Mayclim at (914) 591-5599 or tmayclim@riverinc.com.

ExecuNet, a career management and recruiting network for executives and recruiters, is a recognized authority in executive hiring and recruiting trends. ExecuNet helps members identify career opportunities and attain professional success by providing exclusive job postings, opportunities and tactics designed to expand personal and professional networks, and career advancement strategies.

Founded in 1988, ExecuNet also serves recruiters and corporations as a leading source of top-tier executive talent and proprietary research. For more information on ExecuNet visit