Serious job seekers should avoid these common mistakes
Dear Sam: I work as a hiring manager, and I see candidates committing critical mistakes all the time when applying for open positions. Can you share with your readers some of the biggest job-search blunders to avoid? — Underwhelmed
Dear Underwhelmed: It is very unfortunate when candidates spend time applying for jobs, only to be overlooked as a result of trivial mistakes. Candidates who apply for jobs haphazardly often appear disingenuous, unprofessional and careless. Avoid leaving a negative impression on hiring managers by steering clear of the following missteps.
➤ Outdated, unprofessional or incorrect email addresses
It is very frustrating to attempt to contact someone, only to receive an “undeliverable” message. Hiring managers sometimes run into this problem with candidates who use their college email addresses after graduating without realizing that their email addresses have expired. Some schools do forward emails to students’ personal email accounts, but this usually must be set up in advance, and not every school offers this option. If you recently graduated, be sure to transition all your email communication to a personal email account. Likewise, never use your company email account for your job search.
Cute or funny email addresses have no place in professional documents or communications. Save nicknames, alter egos and inappropriate slang words for your personal email. Avoid listing your birth year in your email address (for example: firstname1965@ aol.com) so that your age is not on display.
Similarly, if you are still using what some may consider an outdated email provider such as Hotmail or AOL, I recommend updating your email provider to a more modern Gmail or Outlook account using your first name, last name and middle initial, if needed.
As a final cautionary note about email, be sure all your email communication is written professionally. There is a huge difference between a text message and an email. At the bare minimum, include a salutation (Hello [Name]), a nice greeting (“I hope you’re doing well”), a few sentences about why you’re emailing and an ending (Sincerely/Best regards, followed by your name and contact information).
➤ Lack of connection
Targeting your resume and cover letter to the jobs you’re applying for is very important. If a hiring manager receives an application for an administrative position from someone whose experience is all photography-related, he or she is not going to see why that person would be a good fit for the position.
Avoid wasting your time — and a hiring manager’s time — by applying for jobs for which you are clearly overqualified or underqualified. The job requirements, qualifications and often salary should be clearly listed in the job description, so be sure it makes sense for you to apply for that job.
➤ Blatant typos or mistakes
While avoiding typos should be common sense, a 2013 CareerBuilder survey found that 58 percent of resumes have typos. If a candidate has a blatant typo, a hiring manager will most likely assume that the candidate does not pay attention to detail.
In addition to misspellings, referencing an incorrect job title or company name is usually immediate grounds for tossing a candidate’s resume into the “reject” pile. Triple-check all your documents for accuracy; then have someone else review them again for good measure.
➤ Self-serving objective statements
A vague objective statement such as “Seeking a position with a successful company to help me grow and develop as a professional” does nothing to differentiate you as a candidate and does not make it clear why a hiring manager should call you in for an interview.
Opening your resume with a qualifications summary that showcases the basis of your candidacy (and is customized based on the position you’re applying for) is much better use of the valuable real estate at the top of your resume.
As a candidate, you want to make sure your resume, cover letter and communications are memorable — but for the right reasons. The last thing you want to do is end up on a hiring manager’s list of “hiring horror stories” or cautionary tales. Proofread your documents, personalize your materials, and present yourself in the best professional light at all times.
— Samantha Nolan is a certified professional resume writer and the owner of Nolan Branding, a full-service resume-writing firm. Email resume or job-search questions to dearsam@nolan branding.com. To find out more about Nolan and her services, visit www.nolanbranding. com, or call 614-570-3442 or 888-952-3928.