Getting your player ready...
You’ve seen job search advice articles about embarrassing résumé bloopers, like misspelling the word “running” to comic effect (“Instrumental in ruining entire office”). You’ve read about cringe-inducing interview mistakes, like asking the interviewer to “hold on” while you respond to a text message. And you’ve said to yourself, “I’m too smart to make a mistake like that.”
But you still need to be careful, because being smart is no guarantee against typos, and smart people may be even more prone to certain job search errors. Here are some of the stupid mistakes you should watch out for when looking for a job:
1. Resting on your impressive past achievements. A company won’t hire you just because you’ve done impressive things in the past. It will hire you when you’ve convinced decision makers that you will do impressive things for them in the future — and this is an important distinction.
Take time to understand the potential employer’s requirements. Instead of resting on the fact that you went to an Ivy League school or that your last employer promoted you three times in five years, relate your experience to goals your target employer wants to achieve.
2. Going overboard with information. You’re a smart person, and you’ve led an interesting life. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that every detail has to go on your résumé. Remember: Recruiters and hiring managers are interested in how you can help their companies, so make your résumé pop with relevant information.Review each piece of information on your résumé and ask yourself, “Does this prove I’m the right person for this job?”
3. Trying to outsmart the recruiter or interviewer. Many people think of their job search as a battle — them against the recruiters. And when you’re in battle, you want to outsmart your enemy. The problem is that recruiters are not your enemy.
As with the rest of humanity, there are some bad apples in the bunch, but most recruiters are in the business of getting the right people hired. And rarely does a candidate who comes across as combative seem like the right person. Think of recruiters as your job search partners. Ask yourself how you can make it easy for them to see that you’re the right person for the job, not how you can trick them into thinking that you’re the right person for the job.
4. Thinking you’re too impressive to need a digital profile. Recruiters have always based hiring decisions on candidates’ reputations. And nowadays, a very important way to gauge a person’s reputation is by seeing what the Internet has to say about him. Keep in mind that the recruiter charged with sourcing candidates may not be an industry insider and may not be familiar with your reputation.
Conduct some searches on yourself to make sure that relevant professional information about you is easy to find. If you haven’t already done so, create profiles on appropriate professional platforms. The time to develop a solid professional profile is before you need it.
5. Not asking your network for help. Be smart about how you network, and present a positive, professional face to your contacts. When you make strides in your job search or do something to make yourself a more attractive candidate, tell people about it. Ask contacts you trust for a five-minute résumé critique. Or schedule coffee meetings or informational interviews with friends and/or former colleagues who work at companies that interest you. Ask questions, and listen to what they have to say. An open mind is key to your search.
– Copyright 2014. Monster Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. You may not copy, reproduce or distribute this article without the prior written permission of Monster Worldwide. This article first appeared on Monster, the leading online global network for careers. To see other career-related articles, visit career-advice.monster.com.
