5 Pitfalls To Avoid in the Job Hunting Process
With over 10 million people looking for a new job in the United States alone each month, it can be very competitive. Not everyone is able to stand out and get the job they want, but even if someone is highly qualified, they still might not get that job. The reason for this is that there are plenty of mistakes that people make throughout the job-hunting process that either keeps them unnoticed or causes them to not make a good impression.
Let’s take a look at some of the more common pitfalls that can happen when you’re in the job hunting process and how you can avoid them, getting the dream job you’ve always wanted in the process.
Resume Mistakes
We could detail 100 different resume mistakes that people make, but it’s easier to just narrow it down to a blanket statement about the more frequently-seen errors. Obviously, there are a lot of people who make spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in their resumes, but it goes much deeper than that. People tend to not keep their resumes updated, which is the biggest mistake that you can make.
Once per month, you’ll want to check your resume to confirm that it’s up to date and make tweaks here and there when you can. Make sure to highlight your accomplishments with your employers rather than go into detail about what your job pertained to, as that’s typically pretty clear from your job title alone. Instead of writing a catch-all resume, try to have multiple resumes, giving your most attention to the resume that’s catered to the job that you specifically want.
Applying To Too Many Places
When you’re starting to get desperate for a job, it can be easy to simply throw out the widest net possible and hope that you get at least a handful of catches. However, there are certain problems that arise from applying to too many positions and companies at once. We already mentioned that your resume should be more focused on the job that you’re applying for, and you may end up sending one that’s completely irrelevant to a different position.
When you have too many applications on file with one company, there’s a good chance that they’ll ignore you in the future because of how many unsuccessful attempts you’ve had. Another downfall is that when you start to receive calls, you might not be aware of which position you’re being called about. It can be awkward when you hear from a hiring manager and you have to ask “Which position was this for, again?”
Poor Online Presence
There was once a time when you could walk into a company and hand your resume to someone that had the ability to hire you, and possibly get an interview on the spot. Those days are long gone, however, and you have to go through a very vetted process that’s handled almost exclusively through the Internet. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that you have a strong and professional online presence while also doing some networking.
LinkedIn is one of the most important tools when it comes to the hiring process and can serve as your resume while acting as a point of contact with recruiters. With that said, make sure to have your job history up to date on your profile and make sure that all of your interactions and comments are professional. Establishing an individual website that showcases your skills can also give you a massive leg-up from the competition.
Unprepared For Interviews
Now that you’ve gotten all of your resumes out to potential employers, you never know when an interview could come. There are a lot of times when out of the blue, you’ll receive a phone call from a hiring manager asking if you’re available for a phone interview right that very moment, even if it’s just a five-minute call.
Because of this, you have to keep yourself on your toes and prepared for an interview at any given moment within business hours. Even when setting up in-person interviews, people can come in unprepared and blow their chances at a dream job, so practice answering any potential questions from employers.
Not Negotiating
We already touched on how people can become desperate when job-seeking and sending out a lot of applications and resumes. The same can be said when it comes to the final salary that’s offered to a potential new employee. An employer will tend to send out what could be considered a lowball offer, and the potential employee is likely to jump at the opportunity just to get the security of a job offer.
You should always know what you’re worth, though, and prepare to get involved in negotiations. Often, the salary range is posted along with the job description, and you should always know that your previous qualifications move you up the scale. Come into a negotiation with your skills and accomplishments, showing that you’re not willing to simply take the lowest number in the salary range, even if it means moving on to a different job.