16 job search errors you’re probably making

2011-12-05
Over the years, hiring managers have born witness to every hiring, interviewing, reacutesumeacute, cover letter and negotiation mistake there is.
You know what these blunders are. We’ve told you several times. Yet you (and hundreds of other job seekers) continue to make common job search mistakes.
From those who see your mistakes over and over, here are 16 common job search mistakes to avoid — and some of them may surprise you.
1. You don’t keep your options open
quotCandidates tend to think that if they interview for a job they will get an offer, so they do not apply and interview for multiple positions,quot says Joanie Spain, director of public relations and career services, School of Advertising Art, a graphic design college.quotThey wait until one plays out completely, putting their job search on hold until knowing for sure they didn’t get the offer.quot
quotBy having many more irons in the fire, you diversify the risk and disappointment that is inevitable when any single opportunity disappears,quot adds Roy Cohen, author of quotThe Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide: Success Secrets of a Career Coach.quot
quotYou also present yourself as a more passionate and energetic candidate. You’re in the ‘zone’ — a point where you’re in the flow of information and ideas — and that makes you more valuable.quot
2. You turn up your nose at job descriptions
quotEntry-level candidates are reluctant to apply for a position unless the job sounds like their ‘dream job’ or they have all qualifications listed,quot Spain says. quotRather than going on an interview to get more information, they base decisions about applying on the job description alone. They fail to see that all interview experience is good experience, or that, until there is an offer on the table, there is no decision to make.quot
3. You haven’t perfected the thank-you note
quotDon’t be too verbose with a thank-you note after an interview. Sending out a version of quotWar and Peacequot can come across as desperate and needy for a job. However, sending a one or two sentence thank-you note comes across as flippant, not well thought-out and potentially shows indifference regarding the job to the employer,quot says Mike Barefoot, senior account manager at Red Zone Resources, a recruitment firm. quotWe encourage candidates to keep them to four to eight sentences.quot
4. You don’t check your references
quotAlways give out references that you’ve pre-screened. We sometimes see candidates give out references that were never checked with and the references feedback isn’t always kind,quot Barefoot says. quotAlso, make sure they’re predominantly managers. An occasional colleague is okay, but contemporaries and friends really don’t carry that much weight in helping you land a position.quot
5. You’ve got poor business acumen
quotManagers are becoming more savvy and are taking candidates out to lunch for interviews. They want to see how you treat a restaurant staff and see the ‘real’ you. If you’re rude to them or don’t seem appreciative for their hard work to make your meal pleasurable, managers wonder how you’ll treat contemporaries you work with,quot Barefoot says.
6. You have a messy briefcase
quotA messy briefcase can imply the person is unorganized, messy and unprepared, and that their work will be less than optimal,quot says Ronald Kaufman, author of quotAnatomy of Success.quot quotSomeone who is neat, clean, organized and prepared in all areas conveys they’re serious about getting a job and working.quot
7. You discount temporary positions
quotMany employers coming out of a recession want to hire on a temporary or temp- to perm- basis. We have already seen several contractors be offered permanent positions after they have proven themselves,quot says Jeffrey Weinstock, Esq. president, Rhodes amp Weinstock, a recruiting firm. quotNot only will the temporary position pay some bills, think of it as an audition for a potential perm position, or at least a way to get a good reference for another position.quot
8. You have a bad attitude
quotPoor attitudes come through in telephone calls and in interviews. If you are not positive, why would a potential employer want to hire you?quot asks Weinstock. quotIt may take some time, but by being positive, by doing all the right things, by seeing each position as an opportunity, it will happen.quot
9. You include too much work history
quotMany job seekers over 40 think that they have to take their work history back to their first job out of college,quot says Cheryl E. Palmer, career coach and reacutesumeacute writer. quot All that is needed is the last 10-15 years of your work history.quot
10. You use your work email address on your reacutesumeacute
quotSome people do not regularly check their personal email, so they use their employers’ email instead,quot Palmer says. quotThis sends a negative message to potential employers that the job seekers will not hesitate to use their equipment for personal use.quot
11. You take quotnoquot as a final answer
quotNoquot usually only means quotnoquot for that position, says Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO, Hurwitz Strategic Staffing, LTD.
quotIf you are rejected for a job you should send a thank-you note, thank the employer for the opportunity, and wish them well. No one does that. When the next opening comes around, he’ll remember you,quot says Hurwitz.
12. You lack tact
quotBe determined without being pushy. Calling or emailing to ask about the status of your reacutesumeacute or interview can be a double-edged sword,quot says Rod Hughes, director of communications, Oxford Communications. quotA tactful follow up can place you top of mind with the hiring manager, while incessant calling or emailing can push your reacutesumeacute right off the table.quot
13. You don’t search for yourself on the Internet
quotYour would-be employer is probably going to look you up online, so you should know what is out there,quot says Amanda O’Brien, vice president of marketing, Hall Web Services. quotClean up what you can, check your privacy settings on social networks and if it is something you can’t get down off the internet, you may want to consider talking to the company about it.quot
14. You have a ‘death by bullets’ reacutesumeacute
quotBullets are great but they need context. Keep them to one line, focused on a result and include a figure like a fact, percentage or number,quot says Adriana Llames, author of quotCareer Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game.quot quotOr, put the information in a short summary of the position.quot
15. You’ve got a scattered strategy
quotLooking for a job in any industry and with two or three reacutesumeacutes is going to get the same result as the strategy: scattered,quot Llames says. quotJob seekers with a clearly defined, focused and organized strategic approach to their job search end up with clear results — and a new job.quot
16. You think it’s about you
It is not about you and your need for a job — it is about the prospective employer and their need to run a successful business and make money, says Lori B. Rassas, employment attorney and author of quotEmployment Law: A Guide to Hiring, Managing and Firing for Employers and Employees.quot
quotMany applicants mistakenly believe they will be an appealing candidate if they explain they will accept any type of job offer at any because they have been laid off, unemployed for an extended period of time, have children in college, or are having difficulty making the mortgage payments,quot she says. quotEven if all of those circumstances are true, candidates need to craft a different message, focusing on how they can benefit the employer by saving them money, streamlining processes, creating additional sources of revenue and bringing overall value to the company.quot

Source From CareerPath