It’s been awhile folks! I’ve been off the radar for awhile, enjoying my family and friends during this great holiday season. But I’m back and ready to blog in full force!
I find it ironic, however, that I’m talking about things NOT to do during a job search when I just did one of the things I shouldn’t have. As you read you will see what I’m referring to, but I’m pretty ashamed of myself right now. I’ll slap my own hand later.
Here’s the thing; some of us think job searching is going to be easy. And for some, it may just be. But those people have worked for 20+ years and have a resume that makes hiring managers do unmentionable things to get their hands on. Most of us don’t have that advantage going for us, so we have to get a little creative and strategic to get our jobs. And because of this fact, we run the risk of falling into a scary trap; we could totally screw up any chances of finding the job of our dreams by one little mistake. That’s where this article comes in. So, without further ado, here’s what NOT to do…I didn’t mean to make that rhyme.
What NOT To Do During Your Job Search
- Don’t call…and call…and call some more. There is NOTHING worse than a candidate who is so persistent they become a pest. Recruiters and hiring managers have a lot on their plate. Recruiters have anywhere from 10-40 (sometimes more) jobs that they’re trying to fill, and hiring managers still have to do THEIR job plus find the perfect candidate to fill another position. They aren’t ignoring you because they don’t like you; it’s because they may not have even SEEN your resume yet. In my own opinion, if you haven’t heard back from anyone in a week, send an email to the hiring manager. Express your interest, attach your resume, and also make it known that you understand they are incredibly busy, but you look forward to hearing from them if you are qualified for the position. If you still haven’t heard back in 3 weeks, lick your wounds and move on. You may hear back eventually, but chances are they don’t find you qualified or they have someone in mind already. Some companies have a courtesy letter they send, explaining that you aren’t a fit for the position, but if you don’t hear from anyone, just assume you won’t.
- Don’t send the same resume to every company. I know what you’re thinking; you don’t have TIME to change your resume for every job opportunity you come across. Well, then I guess you don’t have time to really care about getting a job then, do you? Hate to break it to you, but due to the high volume of resumes coming in every day, recruiters and hiring managers are scanning your resume quickly to see if you meet their “must have” qualifications. In other words, your resume BETTER include what they’re asking for. My best advice would be to take note of what they are requiring for the position, and if you meet those qualifications, go back to your resume and HIGHLIGHT them! Include them in a “Skills” section at the top of the page; if they ask for five (5) years of experience, and you have that or more, mention it right away. List your skills in the order that they did; they WILL take notice. You can’t expect to send out a weak resume to everyone and get strong results.
- Don’t apply to just any old job. When you do this, you’re saying that you don’t really care what job you get. Most of us already have an idea in our head of what we want in our career, and there’s nothing wrong with going after that. I’m not suggesting you be extremely picky, but have an idea of what area of work you’re interested in. For example, when I was job searching I knew I was looking for something in HR. I applied to positions that were considered in the human resources department, but didn’t necessarily have it in the title. That’s how I came across the “recruiter” job position. Also, applying to numerous jobs at the same company can hurt your chances, too. Some companies have applicant tracking systems, and can see every job you’ve ever submitted a resume to in their company. If you’re applying for jobs that range from cooking to being an IT person, you’re not showing your credibility. If you’re going to apply for just any type of job, make sure you’re doing it at different companies.
- Don’t keep your job hunting a secret from family and friends. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called a candidate about their resume when people, other than the candidate, answer the phone and are downright rude to me…until they find out I’m calling about a job opportunity for their loved one. It’s not really the best way to make a first impression, is it? Make sure the people in your life know you’re searching for a job. Not only should they be aware they may be called for a reference at some point, but they might hear about a position somewhere else and tell you about it.
- Don’t think that Social Media is a joke. Social media is probably your BEST bet while you’re job searching. Who can afford to get into these networking functions when they’re unemployed? Well, you can use LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for FREE and get the same chance to network. Get onto LinkedIn, find someone who is doing what you want to do, and contact them. There’s no one in this world who is going to tell you to buzz off when you tell them they’re doing what your dream job is, and you’d appreciate any advice they could give. Who doesn’t want to hear that their job rocks and they’re lucky to have it? Networking could possibly lead you to other professionals, webinars and classes to expand your knowledge, and even a future position! Take advantage, people!
- Don’t look for opportunities every few days. You have to stay focused, and focused means searching every day. This is where I slap my own hand, because if I would have been job searching the past week, I would have done a really bad job at it. I’ve been M.I.A the past week, and you can’t do that when you’re looking for new opportunities. Because there’s ALWAYS someone else, lurking in the shadows, waiting to snatch that position from you when you’re not looking. Make sure you’re keeping track of what positions you’ve applied for so you don’t apply for the same one twice. Also keep track of what job boards you’ve been searching on. Be careful with ones such as SimplyHired or Indeed. Those pull jobs off of CareerBuilder, Monster, and other major job boards, so you could be applying to the same job and not even know it.
- DON’T GIVE UP! Job hunting can be a nightmare. You sit at a computer for hours and submit your resume to any job you’re qualified for, only to be rejected, day after day, week after week. It’s exhausting! But you can’t give up. SOMETHING will come along. I searched for a long time until I finally received a call back about a position. The job for you WILL come along; you just have to be focused. Know what you want, do everything you can to get to where you need to be, and apply with these tips in the back of your mind. You WILL find a job!
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