I love the first verse to Queen’s We Are The Champions. That first verse is all about perseverance towards attaining a goal, which is in this case, a Championship. However, pay attention to lines 5 and 6 of verse 1:
“I’ve paid my dues
Time after time
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few”
“Bad mistakes, I’ve made a few.” One can conclude that if the Champions have made bad mistakes, then everyone is going to make mistakes, which means by extension, you are going to make mistakes in your job search. So what are the most egregious mistakes and how can you avoid making them?
Let’s look at each of the steps of the job searching process and talk about how to avoid the Top 10 Job Searching Mistakes::
MISTAKE #1: APPLYING FOR THE WRONG JOB / NOT READING THE JOB POSTING
Too often people apply for jobs without looking at the requirements for the position. You may in fact, be qualified to do the work, but may not have the specific requirements, which is ok. If you do not meet the requirements or greatly exceed them, you can address this in a Cover Letter. At least by doing so, you are showing that you have actually read the job advertisement.
There is nothing more frustrating to a Hiring Manager than receiving resumés from people who have no idea what they are applying for and may have no business whatsoever applying for a position. Some job seekers apply for anything and everything, which is also known in the professional world as “throwing shit on the wall and seeing what sticks*.” In the end, the job searcher is wasting both the job searchee’s and his or her own time. Be picky and selective and read the job postings.
*If the strategy is to reach as many companies as possible hoping to get hired, your time would be better served filling out online applications for each individual company rather than applying for the wrong position.
MISTAKE #2: NOT INCLUDING A COVER LETTER
A Cover Letter not sent is a grand opportunity lost. As I have covered here (no pun intended), this is a format that will make it easy for a Hiring Manager to determine if you are worthy to be in the interview pile or not. The beauty of this format is that the decision can be made in mere seconds and you have a better shot of things working in your favor.
Also note that some Hiring Managers will not even consider candidates who do not submit a Cover Letter. So, always send a Cover Letter even if the job posting does not mention sending one.
MISTAKE #3: RESUME PRESENTATION IS UNPROFESSIONAL OR IRRELEVANT
What is an unprofessional resumé? Examples of unprofessional resumés include resumés that are too long, too vague, too short, full of spelling and grammatical errors, have font differences, inconsistent alignment and / or no contact information, to name a few. An unprofessional resumé is something that was slammed together in a few minutes in Word Perfect after coming home from Happy Hour that is clearly not a shining beacon of resumé greatness.
A professional resumé has these qualities and has been reviewed by you and a (trusted) friend. A professional resumé is easy on the eyes and highlights your accomplishments and not just your experience. Look like a professional and leave the amateurs in the reject pile!
MISTAKE #4: NOT HAVING THE RESUME FULLY UPDATED
This could probably fit under #3, but it is very common. It is never a good look when a Hiring Manager asks about the last job on your resume and you have to backtrack and say that you haven’t worked there in 6 months and you left off your last job. Never send out a resumé that is not up to date. As an applicant, your job is to present yourself in the best light, and not having an up to date resumé shows a tendency to procrastinate or not follow through. Having hired folks before, this is actually a very common mistake that I have seen people make.
MISTAKE #5: BEING UNPREPARED FOR A PHONE INTERVIEW
Knowing your resumé in and out will help in the phone screening. Most phone screenings do not happen out of the blue as advance notification is usually always given. Review your resumé beforehand and think about any questions a reader may have in viewing it. Phone interviews tend to last 10-15 minutes. However, get clarification in advance that it is in fact a quick phone screening and not a full-blown interview. And speaking of full-blown interviews….
MISTAKE #6: BEING UNPREPARED FOR THE IN-PERSON INTERVIEW
You should be able to answer the “Tell Me About Yourself” question. You should know the answer to the “Strengths and Weaknesses” question. You should be able to answer some of the other interview questions that everyone has asked since ancient Himalayan Hunter / Gatherers interviewed for an Assistant Gatherer. Role play and practice with a friend or family member. If you are alone, practice in front of the mirror or with your cat.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the more you interview, the better you will get at it.
Also, don’t forget to research the company!!!
MISTAKE #7: NOT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS IN THE INTERVIEW
The interview has gone well. You nailed the answers to their questions. They love you and you love them. Now the interview is nearing the end and the Hiring Manager asks “Do you have any questions?” You stare blankly and drool a bit, stick your finger up your nose and reply “nope!” Congratulations, you have just blown the interview! (Next time bring a handkerchief)
You should be prepared with a list of at least 15-20 questions. Otherwise, you are conveying disinterest at best or stumbling into a shitty job that could have avoided by asking lots of questions at worst!
MISTAKE #8: NOT FOLLOWING UP WITH REFERENCES BEFORE LISTING THEM
By not contacting references beforehand, you may set yourself up for a ship-sinking bad reference, or you may end up looking unprofessional by having a reference caught off guard like that iceberg did to the Titanic. For more on reference tips see here and here.
MISTAKE #9: NOT FOLLOWING UP
If you were instructed to follow up at the end of the interview and failed to do so, that could be interpreted as disinterest. Confucius was once quoted to say, “If asked to follow up in an interview, then follow up!”
Keep in mind as well that if you were interviewed early in the job search process, it is possible that you may have fallen off of the radar for the next shiny object that the Hiring Manager saw. It is always a good idea to follow up if you haven’t heard anything after a reasonable amount of time (at least 5 days to 2 weeks). Hopefully you remembered to ask at the end of the interview when you should follow up as well!
MISTAKE #10: NOT KNOWING YOUR WORTH IN A SALARY NEGOTIATION
Once an offer is presented, you are going to be asked what salary range you are looking for or you are going to be told what the range is. Do you know if that is fair given your experience and the size of the company? If you were a manager of Company A that did $50 milliion in revenue and had 100 employees but are being offered the same job for Company B that does $200 million in revenue and has 300 employees, would it not stand to reason that Company B’s job is going to be more challenging and demanding and therefore should command a higher salary?
There are countless salary comparisons and calculators on the internet. Use them. Study them for your geographical area and company size. Look at other ads as well and try to understand what the market is commanding for your position. If you feel like you are lowballed, these different salary guides and resources could be used to state your case.
Those are the 10 biggest mistakes that can be made. However, there is a common thread that all point to a failure of preparation. Preparation throughout all steps of the process will have you singing along with Queen at the finish line and not whistling Dixie!