Avoid These 7 Common Job Search Mistakes

Trying to find the perfect next job opportunity? I was in your shoes just a few months ago before finding my ideal marketing role at CommondBond. As anyone will tell you, it’s hard work finding the right role but it’s even harder when people fall into some common job seeking traps.

From my own experience and speaking with other hiring managers, I’ve seen 7 common job search mistakes that people make. Avoid these mistakes and you’ll give yourself the best possible chance to land your dream job.

You aren’t sure what kind of role you are looking for

You know you want a new role, but have no idea what that is. If this is the case, one of the worst things you can do is dive into the job hunt without any clear vision. Searching for a job without having a target industry and role is like driving to a new destination without a map. It can cause confusion and frustration for both you and your potential employers. Before updating your resume and applying for jobs, take the time to evaluate in what jobs and companies your skills, strengths and experience will be most highly valued. This will make your job search much more focused and efficient.

People who use their strengths daily are six times more likely to be engaged and perform better in their jobs. Some resources to help you identify your strengths include the Gallup Strengths Center or the Values in Action Survey.

You don’t believe in the power of networking

Networking can be uncomfortable for many of us. However, networking is essential to landing a new job. The Jobvite Index has shown that employee referrals, often the result of networking, are the No. 1 source of new hires. Ultimately, networking is the best way to have meaningful conversations with potential employers, friends, and co-workers to both learn more about open roles as well as demonstrate how your skills and experience might fit. If you aren’t sure how to get started, The Muse has some great tips and tricks on effective networking.

You submit your resume to any job opening you find

Job listings on career and employer sites are a great way to discover open roles, but blindly submitting your resume and cover letter to all job postings you find will likely not get you hired. The job search isn’t a numbers game. You will be much more successful if before applying you take the time to network with current employees, research the company, and tailor your cover letter and resume for the position. Your research and networking will help you stand out by demonstrating your interest and passion for the company or role.

When conducting company research make sure to review a company’s website, blog, social channels, and recent press. Additionally, if the company is public, take the time to read through their 10k report as it can provide great background on their strategic direction. The Vault can also be great resources for further company research.

You leave errors in your outreach emails, cover letter or resume

The job process can be stressful and it can often feel like you need to rush so that you don’t miss out on an opportunity. It is in this rush that the most common mistakes occur, such as spelling, inserting the wrong company name or sending an old version of a resume. While it might not seem like a big deal, companies will notice. These small errors can often be a quick deal breaker. To avoid these easy mistakes, take a deep breath, slow down and read over everything before you send it.

You are afraid to talk about your accomplishments

Talking about your accomplishments can be uncomfortable because you don’t want to brag, sound annoying or take too much credit. As a result, you can often wind up being vague or downplaying results. Without discussing previous achievements, how is a future employer to know you can do the job? The reality is that the job search process constantly requires you to discuss your achievements. The key to discussing your accomplishments is to keep it simple, discuss the accomplishment in terms of the skills you acquired and be clear about what you personally contributed to a project compared to what the team did as a whole.

You don’t send every person you meet with a thank you note

Sending a thank you note may sound simple but it can often be forgotten. Within 24 hours after every networking chat or interview, you should send a detailed and thoughtful thank you note. Even if you aren’t interested in the company or role, a timely thank you note demonstrates professionalism and respect. Sometimes a company will wait to move forward with next steps until after receiving a thank you note even if they promised to follow-up.

A great thank you note is specific, enthusiastic and sincere. It references particular points of the conversation and is a great place to provide the interviewer with additional relevant insights. Finally, your interviewers are busy, so it shouldn’t be more than a couple of paragraphs.

You create an artificial deadline for when you “must” have a job

When there is a major life event, such as graduating school, having a child or moving, it is common to want your job search to align with the timing of that life change. While staying motivated and having a goal is important, these “deadlines” can hurt your prospects. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job search usually takes 10.8 weeks with 58% of job seekers finding a job in less than 14 weeks. However, if you set a deadline and the job search takes longer than expected, it is easy to get discouraged. Frustration is your worst enemy in the job search process as it makes you more likely to commit all of the common blunders above.

While there are no shortcuts to getting your ideal job, avoiding these pitfalls will increase your odds. Have any common job seeking errors that you’ve come across? Share in the comments below!

Samantha is an acquisition marketing manager for CommonBond with more than five years of performance marketing experience. Before to joining CommonBond, she spent three years at American Express in their consumer card services group. Samantha holds an MBA from Columbia and a BA from Barnard College. As an MBA student, she interned for four tech startups, including Spotify and Birchbox. Samantha was selected as a Columbia Career Fellow to coach her fellow students.