ARE YOU SABOTAGING YOUR JOB HUNTING?
Mistake #1: Submitting A Sloppy Resume
Understand that your resume is an advertisement for you. Like a newspaper ad for soap — trying to get people to buy Right Guard when shopping for deodorant. Or a TV commercial for Cylert (a medication people use to treat Excessive Daytime Sleepiness). Or like a radio advertising campaign — with “you” as the product being sold in the radio commercials.
Before submitting your resume to a prospective employer, check it closely for errors at least three times before handing it over. You absolutely want to avoid grammatical and typographical errors.
Mistake #2: Failure To Appear Professional
A survey was conducted of 1,400 chief financial officers conducted by a staffing and consulting firm based in California. The results revealed the following most common self-defeating interview behaviors.
* Arriving late
* Having little knowledge about the company
* Having little knowledge about the position applied for
* Behaving arrogantly
The body language of the applicant must also denote that he is confident yet not overpowering. It’s important to maintain eye contact. Never underestimate the importance of a strong handshake. Projecting a confident stance is greatly helped by wearing the right clothes. It’s always better to be a little bit overdressed than a underdressed for a job interview.
Your Secret Weapon: Referrals
Having a referral from one of the company’s employees can go a long way toward landing an interview. When a company advertises a job opening, it might receive several hundred applications. Between 35% and 60% of job openings are filled by people with referrals. You have a better chance of getting hired than the other several hundred people vying for the job if you have a good referral.
If you do not know anyone from the company who may give you a referral, it is a good idea to network the alumni of your college or university, trade groups, social networks, and professional associations. Remember, a good referral greatly increases the odds of your getting the position.