Career Management Alliance Blog

Sorry for the inflammatory headline! It was inspired by a job ad I read this morning for a Boston-based HR Director position, which specified, “Sox knowledge required.” As a loyal member of the Red Sox Nation, I thought for a moment that this employer was giving preferential consideration to my fellow Red Sox fans. Alas, the requirement refers to Sarbanes-Oxley knowledge - familiarity with the US federal law that tightened auditing and reporting requirements following recent corporate scandals.

Still, I got to thinking about the quirkiness of the employment process and the extent to which individual preferences and sometimes oddball requirements factor into it. A friend who lives in Massachusetts was interviewed at a company in Columbus, OH, home of Ohio State University and the Buckeyes football team. My friend was asked if he was a Buckeyes fan, but before he could even answer, was told, “Well, never mind, if you work here, you will be.” He was told in an interview at another company that anyone they hired would pretty much have to be a sports fan.

Someone else I know, a hiring manager, shared with me her pet peeve when it comes to resumes. None of the professional resume writers I know factor this pet peeve into their decision making, and it’s not covered in any resume certification test that I’m familiar with. In fact, it’s so outlandish that I won’t even mention it for fear people will read it and take it seriously. (It’s roughly equivalent to whether you write the letter M with pointed or curved strokes - in other words, who cares?!) Nevertheless, that pet peeve is the filter through which this manager screens job applicants.

Many years ago I was part of a hiring team that interviewed several candidates for a coordinator position. We selected a man who had all of the qualifications - but first we had to overcome the objections of one team member who faulted the man for wearing polished brown (not black!) shoes with his nicely pressed navy suit.

It helps to remember that we’re dealing with human beings in the hiring process, and these kinds of eccentricities will present themselves from time to time. While it’s possible to navigate the quirky employment waters so that you increase the odds of getting a favorable response from most employers, the reality is that some employers will behave in unexpected ways.

In fact, I’d say, if you’re waiting for employers to behave completely predictably and logically, well, keep your Sox on!

Submitted by Wendy Gelberg