Q:
I was interviewing for two jobs through two different recruiters. I was offered both jobs and when I declined one of them the recruiter got angry when he discovered that I was interviewing for another position and hadn’t told him. I fear I may have burned a bridge and that he won’t consider me for opportunities that may come up in the future. Did I do something wrong?
A: There are three guarantees in life — death, taxes and the certainty that recruiters will never blacklist a qualified candidate if they think they can place him and earn a fee. Likely he was angry more because he was counting his money before the deal closed only to have it ripped away by a rival than because you didn’t tell him you were considering another opportunity. And yes, you should have told him. Having it come as a surprise can potentially make him look bad to the employer he was working for. And had they known there was a competing suitor, it could only have worked to your advantage. It might have changed their timing, their offer — who knows.
There are mistakes an applicant can make that would land them in the “do not refer” zone — such as getting caught lying, or handling yourself unprofessionally on an interview, which makes the recruiter look bad. But your faux pas won’t have lasting ramifications. He’ll get over it, and trust me, if he feels he can earn a fee by referring you in the future, he’ll see green rather than red.
Q:
You recently wrote that three years between jobs is an unusually long stretch to be looking for work. Does that apply regardless of age? I am 50, and so are a few of my friends, and several of us have been out of work for nearly three years.
A: Generally speaking, I’d say the older one gets, the longer it could take to find work, and not necessarily because of age discrimination. There are fewer C-suite jobs than there are middle-management or entry-level jobs, so it could just be a case of supply and demand. Higher compensation requirements may also make certain options, including career changes, more difficult for older workers. So yes, for these reasons it may take longer, on average, for an older worker to find a job. But my initial point stands: Three years is a long time to go between jobs, and if you’ve searched for a year or more without success, it might be time to consider a different approach or line of work.