The Top 7 Mistakes Job Seekers Make and How to Recover from Them  

The job-search process can often leave candidates feeling frustrated and powerless. Not being selected or never hearing back from employers after submitting applications can only exacerbate these feelings. Discovering that you’ve been doing something “wrong” can actually be good news. It means there’s room to improve the process and yield different results. If you’re doing everything perfectly and still not making any headway in your search, it would be much more frustrating.

There are seven common mistakes job seekers make. If any resonate with you, modify your approach and you’ll notice the difference.

• You spend all of your time applying to jobs posted online or waiting for things to open. While it’s a necessary step in the process, many jobs that are posted are actually either already filled (HR has a legal obligation to post) or nearly filled (the employer already has someone in mind). There are times when you might apply to something randomly and be hired, but up to 85% of jobs are offered to people with a pre-existing connection to the hiring organization.
  To increase your network, schedule informational interviews with people at the companies where you want to work. These individuals can alert you to future job openings, and perhaps even allow you to mention their names in your cover letter, which will make your application stand out in the stack of résumés.

• You don’t manage your time efficiently or know how to spend your energy. It’s difficult to search for another job while you are working full time, and the process can be overwhelming, especially if you aren’t sure about what you want to accomplish. To make the most of the time you have, set goals. But remember that life happens–even if you planned to send three informational interview requests one week and you only were able to send two, it’s still a step forward. Be proactive in planning what you want to achieve and you’ll be more likely to get there!

• You don’t hold yourself accountable. There will be times when something major interferes with what you planned to accomplish, or when you misjudge how long a task will take. There is a difference between those situations and simply making excuses or procrastinating. To be successful in your job search, you must create structure, prioritize the steps you need to take to accomplish your goals, and hold yourself accountable if you get off track.

• You don’t customize or perfect your application materials. It’s crucial that your application be tailored specifically for the employer and position. Read the job description and the company website to find the language that will resonate with the employer. If possible, speak to people who work at the company or read a few LinkedIn profiles of current employees (bonus points if they’ve had the job you’re applying for!). Use that information to customize your cover letter and résumé for that particular employer .

• You submit materials with errors or typos. This happens more often than you would think. Perhaps you recycled some language from one cover letter to another and forgot to change the company name, or maybe you said fiancé instead of finance and spellcheck didn’t warn you. To ensure your application is error-free:

• • Print out what you’ve written and read it aloud in advance – this will help with words that spellcheck doesn’t catch.
  • Have someone else (a mentor, friend, or career coach) take a look–because you know what you’re trying to say, you may miss some of the necessary details. 

• You don’t prepare for interviews properly. This usually happens by accident rather than because of a lack of effort. Maybe you thought you were going to have a casual conversation, but instead, you’re being quizzed. Maybe you planned for a certain line of questioning but what you’re presented with is completely different. To prevent the conversation from slipping away from you:

• • Research, research, and then research some more.
  • Remember that there is a reason you’re being interviewed. Study all of the materials you submitted and be able to explain them in greater detail.
  • Prepare questions for your interviewers in advance that are thoughtful and showcase all of the research you’ve done.

• You don’t know what you want.  It isn’t a mistake not to know what you want, but it makes your job search much more difficult. There are a variety of reasons why you may be uncertain of your next step, but if you’re not convinced that you genuinely want to work somewhere, it will be evident in your application materials and in how you come across in your interviews.
  If you’re reading a job description and you feel that it would be difficult to write a cover letter for the position, you’re either not excited or not qualified (or both). If you assess what you want and apply for roles that align with your goals, you’ll be more energized and excited about the opportunity and that passion will shine in your writing and in your interview.

Being aware of these common job-seeking mistakes, and how to avoid them, will help you when you begin to look for your next position.