My Pet Peeves - Mistakes to Avoid When You Want to Get a Job
I realize we now exist in the gig economy, and while I'm all for that, many of us still survive in the traditional job market. By focusing on your career, you have the potential to grow your salary, and obviously, more salary, more savings, and faster progress towards your financial goals.
I'm going to be honest here. I am not an HR professional, but I have conducted enough interviews for peers and subordinates to offer some frank advice to those seeking employment. In my recent experience interviewing potential candidates, I have witnessed a number of unfortunate mistakes which have cost them a job offer and a good paying job. There is often talk of not enough well paying jobs, but from the other side, I can say there are a number of professional, high paying jobs that we have a hard time filling and here are some of the reasons why.
Resume Layout
Before I even read the content of a resume, I always skim the layout. I don't read any words. I just get a feel for what the resume looks like. What are the margins like? How are the headings positioned? What about the tabs and general spacing? Is the font consistent? Are there blank pages? When I'm looking for an organized person, I want an organized, nice looking resume. So if your resume looks like garbage, I won't even give you a second glance. Resume layout should be just as important as resume content.
Typos
Same as layout, there better not be any typographical errors on your resume. Spell check is available. Proofread your work. Have a friend proofread it. A typo on your resume shows me you have no attention to detail. If you can't get an important document like your resume on point, then your emails and work product are probably atrocious.
Content
Okay, you met hurdles one and two, and I'm looking at the content of your resume. It better be well organized and thought out. If you have been out of school for more than 2-3 years, your most current experience should be first and provide the most detail as to your skills and experience. Make sure to tailor this content to the job you are seeking to get by highlighting similar skills and experiences.
Be Professional During the Interview
I expect a professional dress and courteous demeanor during an interview. When I enter the room, you should stand, hand out to shake hands, and direct eye contact. I can't tell you how many interviews I have entered and the person doesn't even stand. Same when I leave, the proper courtesy is to stand, shake hands, maintain direct eye contact and say thank you.
Be Enthusiastic
There is nothing worse than interviewing an unenthusiastic person. I realize you are nervous and may not be yourself, but you need to show some amount of enthusiasm for the position. It shouldn't feel like your dog just died. You should be happy to talk about your qualifications and excited to hear what the position and company are about. You don't need to go overboard here. A modicum of enthusiasm is all that is needed. Same goes for the interviewer. If they seem miserable, that may be a red flag about the company.
Drop the Personal Babble
When I ask you to tell me a little about yourself or your elevator pitch, I expect to hear your professional accomplishments. I really do not care about your personal story. I don't care that you just had a baby or just got married. I mean that's great. Congratulations. But when I'm conducting an interview, I have 30 minutes to assess whether you will be competent to handle this position and your relevant experience. Your personal stories, happy or sad, don't help me or you.
Write a Thank You Email
Sadly, I would say 90% of people do not send thank you notes anymore. I spent at least an hour of my day looking at your resume, reading your writing sample, conducting the interview, maybe giving you a tour, or taking you to lunch. The least you can do is write an email to say thank you. The bottom line is if you and another candidate are equally qualified and it comes down to one sent a thank you email and one did not, I will choose the one that took the time to write a thank you. It's super easy. Here, I'll write it for you.
Dear So and So,
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today. I was excited to learn more about XY position. If you need anything additional from me, please let me know.
Best,
Name
It's these little courtesies that will get you noticed and ultimately get you hired. Good luck on the job hunt!
Comments
Post a Comment