The 15 Biggest Job Search Mistakes People Make
How to avoid them and get your desired job
Pre-Application Stage
Unprofessional Resume
It’s nice to have a visually pleasing resume, but what matters more is not having obvious grammatical mistakes. The least you can do is running it through Grammarly for errors.
To help you with structure and design, you can also use online resume builders such as CVmaker, VisualCV, or Europass.
In addition to spelling and grammar, take note of some common mistakes:
- Bad Email Address. (Try to be professional when choosing the email address rather than writing something like sweetty72@yahoo.com).
- Resume is too long (3 pages or more). The recommended size in most of the cases is 1–2 pages A4 format.
- Inaccurate start and finish dates in your list of jobs.
- The photo doesn’t match the role. Don’t use informal photos, with home clothes or when you’re at a party with someone else even if you think that you look perfect. Take the time to make a good photo or even better go for a professional photoshoot. Spend a little bit of money to have a great picture that you can use for a long time.
- Check email and phone number — be sure to be reachable by HR.
Not Writing a Cover Letter
Sending a Cover Letter is not always mandatory and doesn’t guarantee that it’s going to be read by HR. Nevertheless, it’s better to prepare to submit a tailored one together with your resume.
This document is underestimated by many candidates, as it gives you an excellent opportunity to freely describe your motivation. It shouldn’t repeat but complement the resume. If HR takes the time to read it, a good Cover Letter could tremendously increase the chances of getting an interview. Use all opportunities you have to gain an advantage over the other candidates.
As I worked in university and reviewed hundreds of cover letters by students, here’re some of the most common mistakes I noticed:
- Too long or too short (It should be 1 page, in A4 format)
- Errors, like misspelling the name of the company or the person you’re addressing
- Descriptions that are too general like “I’m hardworking, motivated, enthusiastic.” Be more specific and use personal examples. It’s better to tell about project successes and professional achievements from previous jobs or studies, and what you’ve learned and developed by doing them
- A lot of unnecessary information. It could be useful to mention a hobby or personal interests like being a big fan of Vincent van Gogh or making homemade soap in your spare time. However, don’t overdo it and minimize the extra personal info.
Searching for a Job
3. Only Looking at Job Portals
You shouldn’t limit yourself only to job portals and career sites. Try different platforms and places to find suitable vacancies: subscribe to different groups for jobs on social media, utilize well LinkedIn, visit job fairs, ask your friends and networks. The more options you find, the better.
Sometimes you can find excellent opportunities through a recruiting agency. I found my first internship with the help of my university HR department. Later on, I found my first post-graduate job in a foreign country via the European student agency (Erasmus). In many cases, such agencies can help you for free, as companies pay them for finding suitable candidates.
4. Unfocused Job Search
You need to focus not on finding a job or any job, but on finding a specific role and vacancy that suits you. It’s better to apply to fewer vacancies with a higher chance of succeeding by customizing your profile and application to the position. Always adjust your Resume and Cover Letter according to the set requirements and job description to highlight your strengths and skill that the company’s looking for.
Additionally, if you can find a person who works in the company to give you a reference, it increases your chances. You can nicely ask someone you connect with on LinkedIn or Facebook for a reference code, and, likely, people will respond positively, as they get a chance to earn a referral bonus.
5. Missing Qualifications Stop You From Applying
Applying to jobs you have no chance to get doesn’t make sense, but this doesn’t mean that you always have to meet 100% of a position’s requirements.
If you cover most of the essential skills and feel that you fit the job, then apply. You can quickly develop soft skills such as collaboration or presenting. Furthermore, you may think you’re not superb in one area, but in the employer’s eyes, they could believe you are fully capable of performing that skill. Professional expertise and skill proficiency are hard to determine simply looking at a resume.
The simple rule is if you think you can do the job, submit your application, there’s nothing to lose.
6. Not Taking on Internships
If you’re a student and still lack job experience, don’t hesitate to use volunteering or internship opportunities. You want to gain some practical experience that looks good on your resume. Even if the salary is small, you would most likely work there only for a few months to kick start your career.
People often start working as interns in corporations and can secure full-time positions afterward with substantial salaries.
I did an exchange offer program and had an internship abroad. It led to exciting opportunities in a foreign country and a valuable experience where I could improve my professional skill and learn a foreign language. A lot of other students I knew, continued living in the countries they moved for an internship and are continuing to work for the same companies.
During the Interview
7. Not Preparing for Your Interview
Many job seekers often come for an interview without even bothering to read at least the minimal information about the potential employer. It’s a big mistake because companies like to check your knowledge about their business or the whole industry.
You don’t need to study what they do in detail, but I strongly recommend you know the basics about their products and services, core values of the company, latest market news, and main competitors. You just need to spend 20 minutes researching online and looking at their site. Take a few notes if required and bring them with you in case you get a related question. HR likes people who prepare for interviews.
8. Not Standing Out From The Crowd
If a position is popular and the company’s getting hundreds of applications, you’d need to somehow stand out from all the other applicants. In a competitive environment, you have to show you’re better than the rest. Do you speak an additional foreign language that will help the business? Have you mastered Excel, like nobody else? Are you experienced in programming languages unknown to others?
Think about your unique skills and knowledge, which will differentiate you from other candidates and would make you irresistible for hiring. Mention those skills during the interview.
9. Arriving Too Late or Too Early
To avoid spoiling the vital first impression of you, you’d better come 10–15 minutes before the interview.
Make sure to check in advance the route, exact address, exact building and floor, room number, name of the interviewer, etc. Coming at the last moment will only increase your stress levels by not having the time to take a small break, look at yourself in the mirror, turn off your phone, and prepare mentally.
If, for whatever reason, you’re going to be late, give them a call and inform the interviewer that you’re running late. Try to provide the notice 15–20 minutes before the arranged time. Coming an hour too early is also not a great idea as you’re going to wait too long or disrupt the interviewer’s plans. Just come on time, ideally a little earlier.
10. State of Despair
If you’re tired from unsuccessful job searches and interviews, it can affect your confidence and self-image. Emotional exhaustion is a problematic state for an applicant. Such people could often too much during an interview, trying to “sell” themselves to the interviewer as this is their last chance.
If you feel exhausted from the lack of success while looking for a new job, it might be useful to take a small break for a few days. Try to relax and refresh your brain, do your favorite hobby, read books, spend time with your family. When you feel better and more confident, go on applying for new job positions and attending interviews.
11. Low Salary Expectation
Being desperate and underestimating your skills can lead to low salary expectations. If you’re going to ask for a lower salary, thinking that this will increase your chance of getting the job, that’s not often the case and can oppositely hurt your chances of being hired. Asking for a lower salary can be interpreted as a lack of experience and expertise. Even if you end up getting the job, you may regret diminishing the price of your skills afterward as in this story:
“After working in a small office, I managed to get a job in a prestigious company — I was happy and proud of myself. After a while, I accidentally found out the salaries of other colleagues. It’s normally much higher, even for those employees with little experience. I can’t change the situation, but I hate the feeling that I’m worth less than others and being cheap.”
12. Inappropriate Appearance
Don’t dress in beach clothes, short skirts, jeans with holes as well as having unwashed hair, distracting bright makeup, and coming with a hangover or chewing gum during the interview.
The right choice of clothes boosts your confidence and gives an excellent first impression for others.
13. Unsuccessful Self-Presentation
You can work and study a lot, continually develop your skills, and then fail to present this experience and knowledge when it comes to the face-to-face interview. To avoid this situation, train at home beforehand by coming up with answers to common questions and thinking of different examples from your past jobs and projects. Interviewing is like a game in which you’ll get better with practicing.
Think of what is crucial to mention about yourself — rather than retelling your resume in a dry way, try to be more personal and passionate about what you tell the interviewer. Stay focused and interested during the conversation.
There’re many common questions every HR asks at the interview. You need to have a ready answer to those questions such as “What are your strengths and weaknesses” “Tell me a little bit about yourself,” “Why did you leave your last job” and so on. It’s never good to say “I don’t know” or “I don’t have any weaknesses.” People who can positively present themselves and can easily back up their skills and qualities with practical examples are in a very advantageous position to get hired past the interview stage.
14. Come Across as 100% Committed
Believe it or not, this happens. HR understands that you probably didn’t apply only to their company. It’s nothing bad, and candidates do it to increase their chances of finding a job. At the same time, don’t say that you’re not sure whether you want to work in the said company and are waiting for other offers from other firms.
HR wants to hire someone who really wants to work in their company. For example, in my current company, we had a perfect candidate but had to reject him as he wasn’t sure where he wanted to work and is actively applying to jobs in another country.
15. Criticizing a Previous Job
Complaining and speaking badly about a previous employer, director, or a team is never a good idea, and it’s a red flag for HR not to hire you. Even if your old boss was a douchebag, you don’t want to say that to your potential new employer explicitly. The interviewer doesn’t want to hear that about themselves once you leave the company. Better not to go into details about your previous relationships with co-workers and managers than to badmouth some of them.
You should instead focus on the work opportunities or the chance to develop in a specific area you didn’t have in your old company.
Whatever you do, the biggest advice I can give you is this: Stay positive, keep applying, and you will get your chance to shine.
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