Whether you’re currently out of work or thinking about moving on to greener pastures, the job hunting process can be a real minefield! We’ve been matching job seekers with their perfect jobs for almost two decades and in that time, we’ve seen our fair share of mistakes made by those looking for employment.
Here are five of the most common job hunting mistakes and how to avoid them.
A Wishy-Washy CV
One of the top job hunting mistakes we see is candidates not having a tailored CV. Your CV is often the first impression you make upon a potential employer. It may sound obvious but ensuring that your CV is doing you justice is one of the most beneficial things you can do during your job search. Checking for typos and tailoring your CV to specific employers is essential, as well as making sure that all information is up to date and accurate. Something we often see is the use of ‘I believe…’ or ‘I consider myself to be…’ – scrap this and instead state ‘I am…’. That leads us to our next mistake…
Underselling Yourself
We see this all too often – from CVs to interviews, candidates are often afraid to sing their own praises. When job-hunting and preparing for interviews, it’s important to avoid comparing yourself to others. It’s one of those things we all do, even though we know it’s bad for us! Instead, make a list of your own accomplishments and set goals and challenges for yourself – you’ll feel 100% more motivated!
Being Underprepared
We’ve already mentioned the importance of customising your CV depending on the position and company you’re applying to. If your CV impresses and you’re invited to interview, one of the most important things to do is to thoroughly research the company and industry – it’s the sure-fire way to impress your interviewer. When we put a candidate forward for an interview, we always advise them to get researching – if they don’t, we’ll usually hear about it from our client.
Focusing on the Negative
There’s no denying it, job-hunting can be stressful. Unless you’re incredibly lucky, you’ll likely receive a number of knock-backs and rejections before securing the right job. It’s so important that you don’t take these rejections personally. Instead, consider it constructive criticism, try to dust yourself off, learn from the experience and focus on your next challenge. Keep smiling- your positivity and enthusiasm will shine through at your next interview.
Obsessing
It’s easy to get bogged down with searching for jobs, especially if you are currently unemployed. Before long you can find the routine of scouring sites for new vacancies can take over your life. This is bound to take its toll very quickly, so it’s important to find a healthy balance in how you spend your days, making sure you take the time to spend time with family, exercise and pursue hobbies. Better still…let us do it for you!