Today’s job market is really tight out there. Job seekers are trying every tactic possible to give just the slightest edge against other job seekers. What you may not realize though is that those very tactics could be hindering your job search efforts. Job seekers need to learn the recruiters brain in order to get the job they want and job seekers must now wrangle with ATS systems. We explain them in a prior article.
So, let us share a few job seeking tactics that are not working for you. While we understand all job seekers have good intentions, you must ask are they truly doing me any good?
- You are applying to every job: A tactic that all job seekers use is applying to any and everything. They find a few companies that they love and decide to blanket-bomb them with their resume. They think, “Well, if I apply to everything, something is bound to click.” This could not be further from the truth. All this tactic does is upset the recruiter who has to go through all your applications. You ask, “Okay, what’s the worst that will happen?” The worst…is that the recruiter will no longer accept your application for anything, even when you might actually be qualified. Similar to the boy who cried wolf.
- You are lying on your resume – It is a known fact that majority of all job seekers lie on their resume. It is the job of the HR recruiter to investigate what they believe to be these truth stretchers. First, there is no need to lie at all on your resume. Second, at some point in time, the truth will come out. Whether in the interview or on the job, that lies will backfire and do more harm than help.
- You follow up too much – There are a lot of varying opinions on this and there is no good rule of thumb. It all depends on your unique situation and what was said in your interview. Most people will agree that you should follow up after 5 business days from your interview. After that, however, you should leave it alone. Every time you follow up after your initial interaction, you become a pest. If the company wants you, they will contact you and hire you. Now of course, there are many companies out there that move as fast as a snail, however, that doesn’t mean the more you follow up the more you will increase your chances.
- Social media – This should not need much explanation as we already discussed it in another artice. It is so easy to find just about anyone’s profile on social media and with that you can find many discriminating things. People think that those harmless political rants are just that, harmless. Some HR professionals, however, may see that as an employee who might be troublesome. Read our past article so you can have the best odds possible when it comes to using social media.
- All you care about is salary – While of course you want the highest salary possible, when you are unrealistic and put an extreme focus on just salary, you will the turn the employer away. ALL employers are looking for employees who are passionate about what they do and people who will work hard. If you are out just to make money and more of it, chances are the employer will figure that out and overlook you. More money will come in time when you have the experience and skills to justify it.
It is important that you do not turn potential employers away from you because of easily fixable mistakes.
