Being self-assured is one thing, but being overconfident could sometimes cause you to make mistakes and lose out on what you want. Even when job prospects begin to improve, you cannot afford to slack on any part of the job search. These five errors could cost you the job of your dreams:
Basic pitches: Using the same generic resume and cover letter for every opportunity is one of the most common but often catastrophic mistake job seekers make. Nearly 54% of job seekers don’t customize their resume for each employer, which is a huge red flag for hiring managers. It is advised to ensure that your resume is tailored to match the job description for better hiring prospects.
Feeling the “To Whom it May Concern” burn: Addressing your cover letter generically won’t necessarily cause you to be out of the running, but personalizing it could definitely boost your chances over the others applying for the same job. Doing some research and addressing your letter directly to the hiring manager proves that you’re willing to go that extra mile.
Cutting cover letter corners: Drafting a personalized resume might be arduous enough, so including a personalized cover letter might be the last thing you want to do. However, this is your chance to make your case for why your credentials are ideal for this job and to humanize what’s on your resume.
Follow up follies: Almost 37% of the job seekers don’t follow up after they’ve applied. This can easily cause an application to get lost or missed. Since recruiters are swamped with resumes for open positions, checking back isn’t an annoyance. In fact, it can actually help make sure that your resume gets noticed.
Thanks but no thanks: Although sending a thank-you note after an interview is quite an obvious thing to do, a survey suggests that almost 57% percent of job seekers don’t do it. Most employers do expect a thank-you note post an interview. This note also gives you an opportunity to reiterate why you’re ideal for the job or even highlight something that you could have forgotten to mention during the interview. It is recommended to send a thank you note in a timely manner to everyone you interviewed with, whether it’s via mail, email or both.
