Five Mistakes That Can Derail Your Job Search
|
No matter how much time and energy you invest in job seeking, critical mistakes can derail your efforts. Consider the following job search scenario. Each of the mistakes described below can put your job search off track, but all are easy to avoid.
Mistake #1: Starting with a Handicap
Your job search is underway. Time to get out your resume, dust it off, and add your most recent experience? Right?
Wrong. A strong job search starts with strategizing, and a strong resume should be the vehicle to put your strategy into action. It isn't enough to dust off an old resume ? you need a revised resume that is tailored to a specific position and a specific employer.
Ask yourself? What are the top needs and preferences of this employer? How can you address the employer's needs with specific information about your experience, strengths, and accomplishments? And how can you structure your resume to convey this key information in a quick, 30-second scan?
To avoid mistake #1, assume that your resume is much more than a personal history that simply needs a little updating. Start with a strategy, and rewrite your resume so that it speaks directly to the interests and concerns of the employer who will read it.
Mistake #2: Sending Less-Than-Your-Best
Your resume is done, and you've written a cover letter to accompany it. Now you're ready to drop both in the mail in response to a job ad that especially interests you? Right?
Wrong. Have you first made very sure that you're not sending out less than your best? Many job seekers fail to realize that both the resume and the cover letter are seen as examples of the quality of their work.
This means that all aspects of overall quality are important ? including spelling, grammar, visual layout, organization, and clarity of writing. Errors will stand out like a flashing red light, and anything that makes the resume and cover letter difficult to follow may cause them to be tossed aside.
To avoid mistake #2, follow this rule of thumb: Have at least two other people read both your resume and cover letter before you send them out. Tell them your job-search strategy so that they know what you want to communicate to the employer.
Mistake #3: Cyber-Regrets
The employer has called for an interview! In addition, he's asked that you e-mail a copy of your resume to another person in the company. That's easy ? a quick note with a Word attachment? Right?
Wrong. A casual approach to the computer world can lead to embarrassing mistakes. Regrettably, e-mails usually can't be called back after clicking on the "send" button.
As before, avoid mistake #3 by treating any letter as both an opportunity to convey your qualifications and a sample of your writing. Avoid common e-mail shorthand and short, terse paragraphs ? the former can come across as "unprofessional" and the latter as impersonal.
Finally, to be on the safe side, print out your e-mail and attachment to make sure that all looks well in hard copy. Then send the e-mail to at least one other person, and ask them to review both its content and appearance.
Mistake #4: The Missed Opportunity
You've prepared for your interview and thought over all the answers you may have to supply. There's not much more you can do? Right?
Wrong. Chances are that at some point in the interview the employer will turn the tables and say: "Do you have any questions?" If you respond by saying "no" or by turning to practical details ("What is your benefits package?"), this will be a missed opportunity.
To avoid mistake #4, think of several questions beforehand ? questions that speak directly to the responsibilities and challenges of the job itself. Employers want to know how you think and what you would be like to work with; your questions are an opportunity to show that you can take on the challenges of the job in a constructive way.
Mistake #5: Letting the Ball Drop
You had a strong interview, and you're waiting to hear whether you got the job. At least now you can take a breather while you wait? Right?
Wrong. Until you have a job offer, assume that it's up to you to keep the ball in the air. First and foremost, send a thank-you letter to each person who interviewed you, making reference to one or more things that were discussed.
Second, follow up at regular Intervals to indicate your continued interest and keep your prospects alive. It's tempting to hang back so that you "won't be a bother" ? but the job seeker who lets the ball drop may lose out to the one who is politely and persistently enthusiastic.
© 2005 Ruth Anderson
Ruth Anderson is the owner of Vantage Point Coaching & Consulting and author of WRITE RESUMES WITH CONFIDENCE: How to Create Outstanding Resumes and Have the Confidence to Use Them with Success. Learn more about her products and services, including the unique INTRODUCTION TO COACHING and JOB SEARCH TUNE-UP programs, at http://www.vantagepointcoaching.com or write mailto:ruth@vantagepointcoaching.com.
|
|
|
Bullseye Interviewing
An interview is much like a blind date. You have sweaty palms, heart palpitations, shaky nerves and a preconceived notion of what could happen. The perfect scenario unfolds in your mind, where you are calm, cool and collected, dressed smartly, totally in control, enthusiastically meet...(related: Employment)
Seminars: Why Are They Popular, And What Advantages/disadvantages Are There To Attending One?
Seminars dealing with "special topics" have actually been around for decades, and are an older form of marketing and information exchanges, that ha...(related: Employment)
Sample Resume Objectives: What They All Tend To Miss
Sample resume objectives. When a harried and possibly panicked job seeker finds one he thinks is good, he feels like the drowning man who just got rescued.But as Shakespeare said, there's something rotten in Denmark. Or in that sample you...(related: Employment)
Reinvent Yourself In A New Career
Some people reserve the word "vocation" for religious calling. Contemporary career guides encourage us to think of a "life purpose" that guides and gives meaning to a life, regardless of career. See, for example, Mark Albion's book, Making a Life, Making a Living.Many people speak of being "called" to a career. There is a sense of "inevitability," that, "I was meant to do this." Some say, "This feels right."Self-help books, career coaches and counselors are available to help...(related: Employment)
Consultants - If We Cant Laugh At Ourselves?
There are hundreds of varieties of Consultants these days. We can find Consultants to take care of our diets, our physical well being, our mental well being, and pretty much anything you can imagine when it comes to business.The story below might just indicate that we take ourselves a little too seriously sometimes.A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand new Beemer advanced out of the dust clouds towards him. The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses, and a Zegna tie, leaned out his window and asked the shepherd, "If I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"The shepherd looked at the man, then looked at his peacefully grazing flock, and calmly answered, "Sure.&q...(related: Employment)
Sweeping Up Worms
With the opening of a new venture and numerous reporters arriving in an hour, it felt like one of those "chickens with heads off" days. We were close, but not ready. So like locusts to a wheat field, a swarm of people were devouring the last minute details. Then, it rained. With rain, came worms, hundreds wa...(related: Employment)
Can Nurses Be Entrepreneurs?
Yes, Nurses can be entrepreneurs. In today's market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices. We as nurses have...(related: Employment)
Power Resumes ? Writing Your Objectives
A powerful resume starts with a good statement of objective. This is the headline of your advertisement promoting yourself. The headline has to be simple yet state with clarity that you are the perfect choice for the specific job or position.Clarity of objective requires that you be clear about your own career direction. If you are not clear where you are headed with your career and the specific goals, you may not be the right fit for the position. There are bound to be certain uncertainities in your mind, there may be areas of concern on the path your career is moving. Yet it is better not to reflect those grey areas in your objective statement.There are several ways you can write your objectives.Decide on the specific job title you want...(related: Employment)
How To Turn A Job Search Into A Career Find
The only way to find a new career is to stop looking for a job Career success requires the identical effort and targeting as setting a course for continuous professional development.Job opportuniti...(related: Employment)
When And How To Say I Just Cant Do It!
We naturally hesitate to tell our boss when we can't do something or are feeling overwhelmed in our job. Bosses don't want to hear that, right? Well, it depends.
In many situations, your boss is so busy that he/she doesn't keep track of how much work you're doing. When your boss gives you a new project, he's not thinking about all the other projects you're already working on.
And here's the kicker -- unless you speak up and tell your boss that you can't handle the workload he's giving you, he'll assume everything is fine.
This can have bad consequences for you AND your boss. You know what will happen. Eventually things will start falling through the cracks or you'll rush through tasks and start making mistakes.
You can only do so much in a day, and deadlines will be missed. While yo...(related: Employment)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Employment