Forget whatever you experienced at the hands of your unfortunate ex; Nigerian recruiters are the OGs of ghosting. You’d think you wowed them at all five stages of the interview, only to wait for an employment letter that never comes.

It do usually pain

But there are ways to know when a recruiter is about to leave you on read, and that’s what I’m about to teach you.

The job requires more than three interview stages

Don’t think the fact that they’re calling you back for one million assessments makes you special. Any recruiter who does this is looking for a perfect candidate, and everyone knows that’s impossible. If you doubt me, just make one tiny mistake at stage seven and see if they’ll call you back.

The recruiter wears a suit

They’re too serious. If you make the mistake of showing up without a tie or laughing too much during the interview, it’s all over for you.

They don’t wear a suit 

Nine times out of ten, recruiters like this work in organisations that take “work culture” seriously. So, odds are they’ll comb through your social media before even calling you. If they find something off, ghosting straight.

There are more than three interviewers

Even if almost everyone on the panel likes you, one person can decide to be the instrument of your village people. 

The recruiter compliments your fashion sense

They think you have money and know that the ₦80k they plan to offer you can’t even pay for your Uber.

They ask for your expected salary

Whatever you respond with is liable to lead to ghosting. Too small? You don’t know your worth. Too much? You’re worth too much for them.

Then they smile when you answer

You probably just named a figure even the CEO doesn’t get. That’s the only reason for that smile, trust me.

They’re too friendly during the interview

They’re probably trying to cushion the fact that the interview is just a formality, and the CEO’s elder sister’s friend’s cousin is waiting to resume.

Or don’t crack a smile

They either don’t like you, or they recently fought with their spouse. Either way, it’s not looking good for you.

They say, “We’ll get back to you.”

They won’t.


NEXT READ: A Day in the Life of a Frustrated Job Seeker

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