Everyone makes mistakes. That's a given and excusable part of being human. But if you're embarking on a job search, you can ill afford too many of them. One mistake here or there, and your job search can be set back weeks if not months. So, what are some of the common mistakes that are made in a job search? Here are my top three...
Fuzzy Goals
If you're stumbling out of the house in the morning with the goal of "getting a job," good luck with that. This is the kind of economy, in the aftermath of the worst recession in 50 years, that will chew up and spit out those job seekers without a clear career goal and a plan to achieve it. Why? Largely, it's the shear number of applicants for available positions; they're simply overwhelming recruiters and hiring officials. Weeding out those applicants who "just want a job" is the first order of priority for those overtaxed employers.
Take some time to identify the position you want, and the company or companies that are capable of offering that opportunity. It's a new world order out there, and those who know what they want and focus their job search like a laser are more likely to get what they want.
A Resume That's Too General
Forget the illusion that a general resume allows you to apply to a variety of job opportunities. In reality, a general resume simply facilitates you getting rejected from a number of job opportunities. As mention above in "fuzzy goals," recruiters and hiring officials are overwhelmed by the shear number of resumes coming in daily. When they've got an opening, it's a title with a real specific set of duties and responsibilities. If your resume doesn't demonstrate job goals and qualifications in keeping with that title, you're out.
Employers today don't have the time or inclination to wonder if your stated objective, "A challenging position with a progressive corporation..." really means, "Senior Buyer with a national apparel retailer that could benefit from an impressive, 10-year history of contribution to comparable store sales and gross margin improvement." If the employer needs to fill a position for a buyer and is left staring the above two objective statements, guess which resume gets the call and which one gets the boot?
Target your resume to a specific job opening or a narrow range of potential openings. While that might mean tweaking the document seemingly every time you turn around, it beats the alternative: a single "general" resume generating zero phone calls.
Wasting Your Time On Internet Job Boards
Yes, there are jobs listed on job boards. And there's the siren call. The problem is, some of those jobs are out of date, and many others are increasingly ‘generic' jobs (that don't necessarily exist) posted by employment agencies or recruiters trolling for candidates to represent. While the latter isn't necessarily a bad thing (assuming you don't mind being deceived), the end result is one more person standing between you and a hiring official. Finally, even when the listings are legitimate and timely, there are thousands of candidates responding to every job listing. It's a crap shoot at best, with success rates of landing jobs running at about 2-4%. Compare that to a success rate of over 60% for ‘word-of-mouth' referrals.
Post your resume to a couple of job boards if you must, or schedule a very limited time every few days to peruse the latest listings. If you see an interesting job pop up on a job board, use the listing information as a springboard to pursue the opening directly through the company's website, or via your growing contacts in the industry.
Personal, one-on-one contact with decision makers, movers and shakers is time better spent that will improve your odds the most in landing your next job. Limit your time on the internet in general, and on job boards in particular, or run the risk of being consumed day and night with nothing to show for your job search but bloodshot eyes.
It goes without saying that your resume needs to be "top shelf" in this tough job market. If you're considering a professional resume service, make sure their writers are certified, have experience with your industry, and are prepared to conduct a consultative interview over the phone. Former recruiter David Alan Carter has put together Resume Service Reviews of 10 of the Web's most popular writers, reviewing quality of workmanship, spelling out their pricing, and giving each a star ranking. (Note: David's "Top Pick" actually guarantees interviews.)
By David Alan Carter
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