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Copyright (c) 2003 by Kevin Donlin
Are you secretly sabotaging your hunt for a new job?
You
may be if you're making any of the 5 mistakes I'll share with you
today. The following blunders are all taken from real-life job searches
gone bad.
Avoid them and get hired faster!
Unforced
Error #1: Misspellings and Grammatical Gaffes
It may sound like a broken record, but for the record, here it is
again:
errors in spelling and punctuation can kill your job search faster
than
Raid on a cockroach.
Here are two recent examples from my email in-box:
1)
A cover letter with the year wrong (employers will think: Did you
miss
that day in first grade when they taught dates?)
2) A resume with the heading, "Professional Skills" misspelled
as,
"Professional Shills" (thus creating an unintentionally
hilarious statement
that torpedoed the document).
The solution is simple.
Have
not one but two trusted friends read your resumes and cover letters.
Tell them to pay close attention to your name, phone number, address
and
the headings in your documents -- most mistakes happen there.
Unforced Error #2: The Answering Machine From Hell
I got an email 10 days ago from a man, distraught because he'd been
looking
for a management job for over a year. So I called him to give encouragement.
This
was the greeting on his answering machine: "Howdy! We're out
chasing
the horses around probably, but we'll be sure to call you back after
we
kick the mud off our shoes. Yessiree. Buh-bye!"
Would
you offer a management job to the creator of that comic masterpiece?
Me neither.
So,
what does your voicemail say about you? Is it professional and
courteous, or a rambling mess, with barking dogs and music in the
background? Either way, it may be the first impression employers get
when
they call you.
Don't kid around.
Unforced Error #3: No Answering Machine At All
Almost as bad as a silly greeting is no answering machine at all.
Because
most employers will call you between 9 and 5. If you're not home and
they
can't leave a message, they'll call someone else.
Solution:
if you don't have an answering machine, spend the 20 bucks and
get one today.
And
if you use a dial-up modem to surf the Internet, call your phone
company and get voicemail service that prevents callers from getting
a busy
signal. That way, if someone in your home is on the Internet for an
hour or
two, employers can still get through and leave you a message.
Unforced Error #4: An Immature Email Address
Every week, I get at least one email from someone with an address
like
cooldaddy1969@hotmail.com or hire-me-please@yahoo.com
Again,
why kid around with your career? Get a professional-looking email
handle and use it for all job search correspondence.
Unforced Error #5: Unresolved Anger
This is perhaps the most insidious form of self-sabotage, requiring
the
most effort to correct.
I've
counseled at least two people this year who, despite a bang-up resume
and stellar qualifications, keep failing at interviews.
In
each case, these job hunters had been laid off under bad circumstances
-- they felt wronged and angry as a result. Problem: that anger came
through loud and clear each time they were asked why they left their
last
employer. And their interviews went downhill from there.
Are
you harboring feelings of ill will toward your last boss? If so, it
may
be causing you to interview poorly. Solutions? You could consult a
career
coach, pour out your feelings to a trusted friend or counselor, or
even
write a letter to that manager you're mad at -- then burn the letter.
By
avoiding these 5 job-hunting blunders, you can prevent the sort of
"unforced errors" that prolong your search unnecessarily.
Best
of luck to you!
++++
Copyright © 2003 by Kevin Donlin
Kevin Donlin is Managing Editor of 1 Day Resumes. The 1DR writers provide same-day, one-on-one resume writing assistance. He is also author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, please visit Resume and Cover Letter Secrets
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