7 Common Mistakes That Prevent You From Getting a Job - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

7 Common Mistakes That Prevent You From Getting a Job Searching for a job can be a challenging experience. On the one hand, there are more tools than ever to search for any type of position you want. Between online job boards, LinkedIn, networking events, and many other sources, youll never run out of places to apply. At the same time, youre often competing with hundreds of other applicants. Thats why you have to create a targeted job strategy and avoid making blatant mistakes in your search. The following are some typical job seeker mistakes that are easy to avoid once youre aware of them. 1. Limiting Yourself to One Type of Job Search Its easy to get into a rut with your job search. You might be relying on one job search engine or only applying to companies on LinkedIn. Whatever your favourite method might be, its a mistake to rely on it alone. There are too many alternatives nowadays to justify such an approach. Here are a few possibilities to try: • Rather than simply applying for posted jobs on LinkedIn, also connect with people and ask for their advice. They may tell you about openings at their company or refer you to someone else. • Attend live events, such as conferences and trade shows. These are great for meeting people and networking. • Join groups and forums related to your industry. Dont simply spam the boards asking about jobs, but take the time to make real connections. 2. Being Set on the Perfect Job Seeking Mr. or Ms. Perfect can prevent you from dating and meeting anyone who has the slightest flaw. Similarly, if youre set on an ideal job, you may be overlooking some solid interim choices. This doesnt mean you have to take any job anywhere that posts a Help Wanted sign. However, many jobs provide you with valuable experience, not to mention an income, on your way to your dream career. 3. Failing to Leverage Your Personal Contacts Even if you feel like you dont know anybody who can help you, its a good idea to talk to as many people as possible about your job search. This includes family, friends, present and past co-workers, former teachers and classmates, and anyone else youre connected to. These connections dont have to be close. Some people worry about appearing desperate or annoying people. However, theres nothing wrong with sending someone a brief email or, during a conversation, mentioning that youre looking for work. 4. Providing Too Much Information (TMI) TMI is a popular acronym on social media. Keep this in mind when creating CVs, filling out job applications, and even during interviews. Providing too much information can actually hurt your job search. For example, if youre an older candidate, dont list every job youve had going back 20 or more years. Work experience going back more than 10 years, unless its directly relevant to the position, is best omitted.  If you need help with your CV, consider enlisting the help of a professional CV writing service. However, to get you started, here are some additional items to leave off your CV: • Your age or date of birth. • A photograph, unless youre in a field such as acting or modelling. • Your salary at previous positions. • Personal interests or affiliations that have nothing to do with the position for which youre applying. 5. Not Doing Research on the Company When creating a CV or writing a cover letter, dont make them generic. Customise them for the specific company youre applying to. Its even more important do some research on the company if youre fortunate enough to land an interview. Interviewers often like to test candidates to find out if theyve done their homework or if theyre just showing up and winging it. You can find out quite a bit about a business with a few minutes of focused research online. Sprinkling your answers with a few pertinent facts about the company can go a long way towards making a strong impression. 6. Lying or Exaggerating It may be tempting to boost your credentials by stretching the truth, but dont do it. Its all too easy today for someone to check out your claims. If youre caught lying, your reputation will take a major hit and you could even be blacklisted from other jobs. Inventing impressive-sounding degrees and job experience is not worth the risk. On a similar note, make sure any references you provide are people who can be easily reached. 7. Having an Inappropriate Online Presence Even in the social media age, its difficult to remember just how easy it is for people to uncover information about you. This is particularly true of items you voluntarily post on social media sites. If youre trying to cultivate a professional image, be careful about photos, Facebook posts, videos, and other content that might be circulating online. You should assume that a company considering you for a position will, at the very least, Google you and check out your Facebook and Twitter (LinkedIn is not usually an issue here, as people use that for strictly business purposes). If theres anything there that could harm your reputation, remove it. These are some of the most common job-hunting mistakes that will lower your chances of recruitment. Keep in mind that your job search often depends on taking many small actions. You never know what conversation, email, or line of enquiry might lead to a job. Author bio: Lee Tonge is one of the UKs most respected professional CV Consultants having created  The CV Store  in 2001 Lee has become recognised as one of the UKs leading CV writing experts and is often called upon by some of the worlds most well-known recruiters for CV advice.