Gary Burnison, longtime CEO of recruiting giant Korn Ferry, pens book on what many of us do wrong when pursuing jobs, careers

Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison

Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison knows a lot about getting jobs. As head of one of the world's largest executive recruiting firms for the past 11 years, he still is surprised by the mistakes job candidates make.

"I've seen it all in interviewing," he told CEO Update while discussing his new book, "Lose the Resume, Land the Job," which published last month.

Stories in the book include one about a candidate for a top job at a fast-food company saying, "Do you really eat
this crap?"

Of course, the job search starts well before the interview, but even there, jobseekers don't put enough thought into it, Burnison said.

"I've seen people from all walks of life, from Fortune 1000 board members to millennials, struggle with what to do, and people think the resume is 90 percent of it when, in fact, it is only 10 percent," he said.

Far more important is to understand your purpose in life—what motivates you—and to be proactive in looking for opportunities to fulfill that purpose. Then, do your homework to prepare for the interview—at which you should be honest and be yourself.

"People do more research buying a washing machine than they do about their next job or even their career," Burnison said.

"Lose the Resume" is written for all jobseekers, but offers ample advice for association executive candidates on factors such as dealing with recruiters and acing the interview:

• "[N]etwork with recruiters to increase your chances of being hired at some point for the right job … move away from seeking the instant gratification of getting a new job tomorrow."
• "Ninety percent of the candidates we have placed … are ‘passive candidates' [who] were not actively looking for a job."
• Check your wardrobe and your personal appearance a week before the interview to make sure everything is clean and pressed and fits. Attend to smaller details like shoe polish three days before the interview, and check your fingernails, teeth and face twice on the day of the interview (including once in the office restroom).
• On the way to the interview, "[do] not buy anything that could spill on you."

The book's top takeaway?

"Find purpose and take control of your career," Burnison said. "Be proactive, have a game plan, discover your purpose and target opportunities rather than blindly responding to want ads and sending out resumes."