Job Search Mistakes

Job search mistakes are not just for those seeking  post-graduation employment, but also for teens and college students seeking summer jobs, mature adults making career changes, twenty- and thirty-somethings still searching to find their career niche.

Alison Doyle of About.com offers the following top mistakes to avoid when seeking employment:

• Applying for any random job instead of conducting a focused job search
• Botching the interview
• Not checking your cover letter, letter of application, resume, curriculum vitae, etc. for typos
• Not organizing your job search
• Not having an online presence and this does not include facebook and Twitter
• Failing to research the company to which you have applied and or agreed to an interview
• Focusing only on posted jobs within a company or organization
• Having a negative attitude; your inner attitude shows in your facial and body language
• Hounding the hiring manager
• Ignoring job search do's and don'ts
• Skipping networking opportunities

Top Job Search Do's and Don'ts (also found at jobsearch.about.com)

• Use LinkedIn
• Write a customized cover letter
• Dress appropriately for an interview
• Send a thank you note
• Be careful job searching from work
• Beware of the following social media do's and don'ts

  Create an online presence, be consistent, don't post inappropriate material,  Google your name and check what's online, be careful what you Tweet, use Facebook privacy settings, network prior to needing to, help others, don't connect with everyone, don't spend time online on your boss' dime

• Avoid the following interview mistakes

  Not preparing; dressing inappropriately; poor communication skills; don't answer your cellphone during an interview or take in anything other than your resume, reference, job application; don't talk too much or too little; avoid providing fuzzy facts; giving the wrong answer, or badmouthing past employers; don't forget to followup

Whether or not your job search yields successful results immediately or years later, the stress of conducting a job search can cause you to doubt your abilities and lead to depression.  This can create a dizzying cycle of low self-esteem and depression.  The more you seek without any perceived success, the more you doubt your abilities and skills and the likelihood that you will find employment, you slow down your search or take "time off" thinking you simply need a break. You then feel guilty that a week or more has past and you have not accomplished anything, nor have you heard from any of the previous employers about your application, which leads to more depression and self-doubt. 

According to ProfessionalResumeExample.com, job search stress is real! But they offer simple solutions to avoid it: Perfectionism,Procrastination, Powerlessness feelings, Problem people, and Pessimism. Additionally, in an article, Hired before Graduation that appeared in the US News Education section on November 22, 2011, writer Emily Bennington outlines how to avoid negative thoughts when job hunting. She suggests that job seekers forgive themselves, catch and release negative thoughts, and choose their response. Kathryn Ullrich provides information on how to avoid 10 common job hunting mistakes in TechRepublic.com's blog posted on March 3, 2011.

Ullrich's Top 10 Mistakes

1. Playing the generalist card
2. Building bloated resumes
3. Missing your target
4. Hibernating online
5. Sabotaging your networking efforts
6. Preparing too little (or not at all) for interviews
7. Missing opportunities on social media
8. Having weak communication skills
9. Failing to put in the hours
10. Going it alone

Clearly, each of these mistakes could be the focus of its own post, but one that appeared the most intriguing to me was number two.  As a high school English teacher and college assistant professor, I have written dozens of reference letters for students applying for college admissions or for employment opportunities.  I often request students to forward me a copy of their resume. I have read some that were expertly written and others that left me wondering what their jobs entailed.  Many, including myself at some point, could benefit from learning just how to remove the bloat from resumes and vitae.

A guest contributor to TechRepublic.com highlighted 19 Words That Don't Belong in Resumes on March 3, 2006.  Of course as you read you will observe the tech slant, but the rationale for not using these terms is valid.

Assist, Assisted

• Reasons to avoid: Hiring managers want to know what you did, not how you helped. If you're familiar enough with a task to put it on your resume, you can choose a better word than assist.
• Example: Assisted marketing director by researching PDAs.
• Possible rephrasing: Researched PDAs for marketing department.

Experiment

• Reasons to avoid: No one wants to hear about what you tried to do--only what you have accomplished.
• Example: Experimented with new LAN management software.
• Possible rephrasing: Tested and evaluated new LAN management software.

Skillfully, effectively, carefully, quickly, expert, mastered

• Reasons to avoid: Hiring managers often object to words that describe how well you do a particular task. In many cases, it comes across as boastful--and it's unnecessary. "If you aren't good at it, why are you putting it on your resume?" one recruiter said.
• Example: Skillfully managed transition from Windows NT to Windows Server 2003.
• Possible rephrasing: Migrated organization from Windows NT to Windows Server 2003 with no downtime during business hours.

Cutting-edge, detail-oriented; coordinate, facilitate, transform; proven ability, synergy, and liaison

• Reasons to avoid: Hiring managers say such words take up space without communicating much. They've seen them so often that the words have lost their original energy.
• Example: Detail-oriented manager with proven ability to oversee day-to-day network operations and to implement major technology initiatives.
• Possible rephrasing: Supervised an eight-member IS staff; completed two full-scale platform migrations; consolidated equipment and resources following facilities move.

Responsible for...

• Reasons to avoid: You're a manager, so of course you're responsible for something. Specify exactly what your responsibilities are and work in a few numbers to convey the scope of what you do.
• Example: Responsible for managing inventory, overseeing network operations, making new equipment purchases, troubleshooting workstation issues.
• Possible rephrasing: Supervised the support of 70 users running Windows XP and two servers running Windows Server 2003; implemented asset management plan for inventorying equipment; built a network operations team responsible for the internal infrastructure.

One issue that has come up of late comes from the March 20, 2012, Associated Press article, "Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwords" which highlights some of the questions prospective employees are being asked.  In the article a statistician was asked for his facebook login and password when the interviewer could not access his page.  He balked at such invasion of privacy, but for many job seekers in a tight job market, they feel they have no choice to comply.   However, facebook responded in another Associated Press article released March 23, 2012, warning employers not to demand passwords. "The social networking company is also threatening legal action against those who violate its long-standing policy against sharing passwords." 

Finally, as if you do not have enough to worry about as a job seeker, a recent article highlights the difficulties those who have been unemployed for a long time are now facing:hiring bias. Stephen Singer of the Associated Press pointed to an increase in "...employment ads specifying that the unemployed should not bother applying" as an example of the types of hiring bias that exists. Although there are laws regarding such blatant discrimination, it is not illegal in all states and human resource managers do not have to tell you why you were passed over for an interview. Those interviewed suggested that even if you have been unemployed for years that you maintain some activity on your resume, whether it is volunteer or community work. Employers want to see that you have been active.

Need specific advise? More information about any of the issues presented here? Contact me and I will assist in pointing you in the right direction.