DON’T MAKE THESE JOB HUNTING MISTAKES

Mistake #1: Submitting A Sloppy Resume

Understand that your resume is an advertisement for you. Like a newspaper ad for soap — trying to get people to ask for Palmolive. Or a TV commercial for Cylert (a medication people use to treat Excessive Daytime Sleepiness). Or like a radio advertising campaign — with “you” as the product being sold in the radio commercials.

Before submitting your resume to a prospective employer, check it closely for errors at least three times before handing it over. Typographical and grammatical errors are serious no-no’s.

Mistake #2: Failure To Appear Professional

A survey was conducted of 1,400 chief financial officers conducted by a staffing and consulting firm based in California. Here are the most common self-defeating interview behaviors that were uncovered.

* Arriving late

* Having little knowledge about the company

* Having little knowledge about the position applied for

* Behaving arrogantly

The body language of the applicant must also denote that he is confident yet not overpowering. He should maintain eye contact. He should have a strong handshake. Projecting a confident stance is greatly helped by wearing the right clothes. It’s always better to be a little bit overdressed than a underdressed for a job interview.

Your Secret Weapon: Referrals

Having a referral from one of the company’s employees can go a long way toward landing an interview. When a company advertises a job opening, it might receive several hundred applications. Usually 35% to 60% of all job vacancies are filled by referrals. The odds of your getting hired when you have a referral are considerably higher than those of  200 to 500 applicants vying for the same position.

If you do not know anyone from the company who may give you a referral, it is a good idea to network the alumni of your college or university, trade groups, social networks, and professional associations. Remember, a good referral greatly increases the odds of your getting the position.