Member Article

7 common mistakes people make when looking for a job

Working in the recruitment industry, you learn what it takes to land a job and the mistakes that stop people from doing so.

Some candidates make the same mistakes over again and small changes can make a real difference. If you want to succeed in your career and job move, stay clear of the following errors and you will give yourself a good chance of landing your next role.

Using the same CV and cover letter for every role:

This may seem like an obvious one, but you would be surprised by the number of people that still don’t tailor their CV or cover letter for different roles. I have seen hundreds of CVs throughout my career and at least 8 out of 10 people use the same template for every job application.

Don’t take the ‘one size fits all’ approach. You are limiting your chances of getting an interview, let alone a job.

A lack of tangible figures, results or achievements on your CV:

A CV should articulate what skills you have and can bring to a role. It should also have facts and figures to show how successful you have been so far in your career.

Additionally, refrain from listing generic achievements. Be specific about the companies you have worked with and the projects you have been a part of, as well as the results you have achieved.

Using too many buzzwords!

Buzzwords can be the barrier to clearly articulating your experience and views and you should avoid using them in your CV and cover letter.

It’s important to think about the simplest way of explaining your achievements. This is the best way to articulate your experience and skills.

Avoid words that have a negative antonym like motivated, enthusiastic and driven. Not only are they overused, they can be turned on their head.

Assuming that job adverts represent all the available jobs:

Only applying for jobs that are listed is not a great strategy. Some of the best jobs are not listed as vacancies and some are created based on the candidate.

Apply speculatively to companies you are interested in. If you have the right skills and experience the company is looking for, they could create a job just for you.

Being too focused on a specific job title:

Sometimes job-seekers focus too much on job titles, rather than what the job role entails. Instead, you should concentrate on the experience you will gain from the role. This is what counts when it comes to your long term career goals. Think about where you want to be in the future and what skills you need to get there.

A lack of focus:

It’s great to be open to a variety of opportunities, but when you are job searching you need to be clear about what it is you are looking for. Being open to too many kinds of jobs will make it hard to find the right one and will leave you second guessing whether the role is right for you.

A lack of clarity, also makes it harder for recruiters to find and present you with the right opportunities.

A lack of honesty about what you want:

Recruiters are there to help you find a job and they can only work with the information that you provide them. Candidates can be tempted to exaggerate the amount they get paid, hoping that it will help them negotiate a bigger salary.

Instead, you should be honest about what you want and deserve in your next role, based on your career to-date. Take a look at salaries for similar roles so you understand how much you should be getting paid.

When recruiters understand your salary goals, they can provide advice on whether you can realistically get what you are asking for and work with you to find a job that is right for you.

Remember it is in their interest to help you.

www.talentful.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Phil Blaydes .