Resumes, references, interviews – oh my! So many opportunities for job seeker missteps! In recognition of Halloween, we put together a short list of the scariest mistakes that will keep job seekers awake all night:
Errors on Resume
How many ghoulish hours have you spent staring at your resume? Possibly too many to the point where you’re not seeing that misplaced comma or wrong date. Errors on your resume can result in a nightmarish job hunt, so do yourself a huge favor, and have a trusted friend and mentor read through.
Failing to Tailor Resume and Cover Letter
Are you haunted by email after email stating you’re not being considered for the positions you’re applying to? Perhaps it’s because you aren’t properly tailoring your resume to the opportunity. General resumes hardly ever get the job seeker far in the interview process.
Focusing Solely on Job Boards
Job boards are a great starting point for finding opportunities, but they should never be your sole focus. Shift gears to networking in-person and through social media. It’s well known that the vast majority of jobs come through networking, not just the boards.
Not Preparing for Interviews
If you’re walking into an interview and just planning to “wing it,” you might quickly learn that this is won’t serve your search well. Before your interview, think up responses to common questions, learn the job post inside out and research the organization. Check out our recent blog post about how to properly reach a company to learn more.
Forgetting the ‘Thank You’
What’s a job search mistake that will come back to haunt you? Forgetting to send a ‘Thank you’ after a job interview. This is not only rude, but also a huge missed opportunity to reiterate why you’re a best candidate for the opportunity.
Is there another mistake job seekers should be aware of? Tell us in a comment!
Happy Halloween!
