For most people, looking
for a job isn’t an easy task nor is it something they often do. Consequently, many people struggle to find a
new job and they become frustrated when it takes longer than they think it
should. However, oftentimes the reasons
they don’t find a job quickly comes down to 12 basic and common mistakes they
make in the job search process. The good
news is that all of these mistakes are avoidable or fixable.
1.
Resume is
too long – A resume should not be
longer than 2 pages and the font size should not be smaller than 10. Long resumes often don’t get reviewed.
2.
Resume
doesn’t highlight accomplishments
– Too many people describe current and past jobs in too much detail,
particularly jobs held many years ago.
Keep you job description brief and concise. Use bullet points for your key job accomplishments
and begin them with action verbs (e.g. Developed, managed, increased, etc.).
3.
Resume has
employment gaps – Any gap in job
history is a red flag and creates suspicion in the mind of the recruiter or
hiring manager. Explain any gaps you
have in a resume.
4.
Resume has
typos or grammatical errors – Both
of these are show stoppers and indicate to the recruiter that you are sloppy
and don’t pay attention to details.
5.
Not
prepared for interview questions –
Most recruiters ask a fairly standard set of questions which can be found on
the internet. If you know most of the
questions you’re going to be asked in an interview, there is no excuse for not
being prepared to answer them.
6.
Poor body
language during the interview –
You communicate two ways during an interview:
with your voice and your body. Be
careful to exhibit the correct body language during the interview. The best way to do this is to do practice
interviews and videotape them. When most
people look at their videotape they are surprised to see how poorly they
answered many questions and their inappropriate body language (not smiling,
poor eye contact, bad posture, nervous gestures, etc.) they use.
7.
Not
researching the company – Given
the wealth of information on the internet today, you should be knowledgeable
about the company you are interviewing with prior to the interview. This will allow you to tailor your answers to
their needs and demonstrate preparedness on your part.
8.
Not selling
yourself during the interview –
During the interview you are marketing yourself, no one else will or can do it
for you. Look for opportunities to sell
your knowledge, talent, and training to meet the needs of the
organization. Don’t be afraid to toot
your own horn, just don’t play it too loudly or too long.
9.
Not asking
for the job – If you really want
the job, let the people know that you do as well as why you think you’re the
best person for it.
10.
Not asking
questions – Asking questions about
the company, its products, culture, strategies, etc. shows interest on your
part. Have a written list of prepared
questions you want to ask during the interview, if appropriate, or at the end
of the interview where you will often be asked, “Do you have any questions?”
11.
Inadequate
networking – Studies show that
more than 66 percent of people find jobs through networking. Everyone has a network of friends, family,
former co-workers, associates, and acquaintances who may know about a job
opening or who can refer you to someone else who does. Networking is critical to finding a job so
leverage yours as much as you can.
12.
Failure to
follow-up with those in your network
– Once you network with someone, it’s important you follow-up with them at
least every two weeks. Otherwise, they
will forget about you or assume you’ve found a job and not pass along potential
job leads they know of or hear about to you.
This is one of the biggest mistakes job seekers make.
Avoid the dirty dozen and
you will greatly enhance your chances of finding a job. Good luck and happy hunting.
