Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt like you’ve sabotaged your chances at landing that dream job.
Related: 5 Hiring Process Myths You Need To Know
Go ahead. Don’t be shy; we all get a little too eager at times.
As a job seeker, the goal is to constantly be aware of your actions and how they can potentially be interpreted by a recruiter or hiring manager.
5 Things To Avoid During The Hiring Process
Here are five things to avoid sabotaging your chances of landing that dream job:
Excessive Follow-Up/Reaching Out
There’s nothing wrong with following up with a recruiter once you’ve either had an exploratory conversation or an interview. However, if the recruiter has stated a specific time frame as to when he/she will be reaching back out with next steps, be sure to at least allow that time period to end before following up. There are a variety of steps within the recruitment life cycle and you never know what client calls the recruiter has to complete, prior to being able to provide you with clarification on whether or not your candidacy will be taken further.
Reaching Out To A Client Directly
In some cases during the hiring process, you may be interacting mostly with a recruiter, as opposed to dealing directly with the hiring manager of a particular company. Occasionally, potential candidates will overstep the recruiter and attempt to contact the hiring manager directly. This tactic rarely bodes well for the candidate or the client.
Clients contract or retain recruiters and search firms not only to locate top talent, but also to serve as an intermediary between themselves and potential candidates. Many companies enjoy a sense of anonymity during the initial phase of the recruitment process, due to various reasons including previously established business relationships, the sensitivity of open positions, and the lack of time and resources to execute the search internally.
This is especially the case if the need for someone to play “bad cop” arises, as that responsibility typically falls on the recruiter to provide feedback from the client or merely inform the candidate of the requirements that he/she does not currently meet in order to be considered for the role.
It is imperative to follow the formal recruitment process set forth by the recruiter, regardless of a personal relationship one may have with a client.
Tip: If you know someone personally, either at the company or on the hiring team for an opportunity you’re exploring, simply mention that to the recruiter and ask if he/she can reach out to that person on your behalf.
Lack Of Honesty And Open Communication
Throughout the recruitment process, there will be a verification of information including education, current employment, and reference checks. If you are currently unemployed, be upfront with the recruiter and say so in the initial conversation. Also, be sure to update your resume and any online career profile you may have, so there is no confusion.
When a Recruiter inquires as to whether or not you have a degree (because it’s unclear on your resume), be honest! We all know the result of how a “mishap” in unclear education information turned out for ex Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson. While most companies tend to have a penchant towards those who at least hold an undergraduate degree, there are times where clients prefer more hands-on industry experience.
Delayed Response Time And Lack Of Commitment To The Process
Recruiters will typically keep you abreast of when they will be discussing your background with the client, so be sure to communicate any upcoming travel plans to your recruiter, ensuring that he/she is aware of when you might be more difficult to reach. This is also important, as you may be requested to complete additional documents or assessments which are time sensitive.
It is never in your favor to leave your recruiter without an explanation for why he/she can’t reach you or why you haven’t returned your completed documents. The client will always want to know what the delay is (instead of assuming you’re no longer interested), so make sure your recruiter can truly be an advocate for you at all times.
Pleading A Case For “Must Have” Requirements Clearly Not Met
If you absolutely do not meet a minimum/non-negotiable requirement, it’s always best to be up front with the recruiter. There’s nothing wrong with providing a brief overview of how you believe additional experience you have might serve as an asset. However, one of the worst things a potential candidate can do while on the phone or in an interview with a recruiter or hiring manager is spend time providing an irrelevant, verbose answer to a question about a specific qualification the candidate does not possess. This will only prove to the recruiter that you’re either not listening or you don’t fully comprehend the necessary requirements to be successful in the role.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.