Top 3 Critical Job Search Mistakes to Avoid for Success

After more than 20 years of recruiting, and interviewing thousands of candidates, some things have changed, but errors are still common place. In the world of applying for a job there are really 3 foundational mistakes that most job seekers make over and over again. Regardless of the seniority of the job seeker, they fail to do these things and never seem to course-correct from the mistakes.

1. Proofread – In the time of the typewriter or early internet, it would be allowable to have a mistake on your resume, or cover letter, and several in your online presence, but since the advent of autocorrect, word processors, and AI, there is simply no justification for glaring errors on a resume, or even LinkedIn. The funny thing is nearly every time I have mentioned this to a candidate, no matter what stage of a process, they complain that, ‘It shouldn’t really matter, if I’m the best candidate for this job.’ Except that what you are saying by not correcting the 3 misspellings of manager on your resume, when you claim to have ‘detail-orientation’ points to a different conclusion. In fact, it tells a recruiter, hiring manager and a company that you have no detail-orientation, somehow cannot spell a simple word or even misspell it in the same manner each time, and haven’t put the least bit of effort into your primary career marketing tool. It makes one wonder, how you are to be believed when you say that you will put in effort after you are hired, when you wouldn’t put the effort in to get hired.
2. Prepare – This is another cardinal sin of job seekers in almost all cases. Whether it is understanding the company, or the role, or how you fit the role. If you are unable to answer basic questions in these areas and other related areas, nothing is going to save you in any interview. When you are working with a recruiter, take their recommendations seriously.
3. Ask for the job – It seems so simple, and basic that anyone at any stage of their career should be able to do it. Moreover, if you do it correctly, you can find out all sorts of things about the search process and your chances of getting a job.

If you want to learn how to search for a job better, follow us at HireEngine.ca or social media, and stay tuned for our candidate seminar series coming up this summer.