The Top Five Mistakes Made When Looking for A Job "Determine to be seen in the interview as a resource person, not a job beggar." Richard Bolles Author of What Color is Your Parachute
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A day to celebrate a man with a vision that all men were created equal. From this vision came one of the most powerful changes in employment law called the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This Act was created so that employers would not discriminate in their hiring practices based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or age.
While this law has made tremendous inroads toward stopping discrimination, it is still alive in the hiring practices of many organizations today. As a female over the age of 40, I am well aware of the obstacles I face when applying for work. I want to equip each of you with the knowledge necessary to stand out in a crowd of applicants and show that you have the skills and drive to succeed no matter your protected class.
I make a few assumptions when I list these five mistakes that applicants make while looking for work. My first assumption is that you have a sense of the type of work you would like to be doing. If you don't, please read one of the best books out there to help you discover your next career step What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles. Secondly, that you have created a cover letter and resume without typographical errors, and finally, that you are dressed professionally during the interview. Now with these assumptions out of the way, I give you the mistakes I found most often while interviewing hundreds of applicants as a general manager at a staffing organization.
- Thinking you can get a job without any previous work history. We have all been in a situation where we want to better ourselves and career, and so, we swing for the fence and apply for a position where we may have none or only an ounce of experience doing it in a previous job. We just hope that the resume reader will see past our lack of experience and give us a chance. Now I am not saying this never happens, but your best use of time and talent is applying for work that matches your past experience. You may ask, "How do I get hired in a position that I want but have no experience?" There are ways to get experience outside of work by volunteering for organizations that will help you gain the skill set you are looking for. Or, once you are in an organization, look to transfer later into an area you want to gain experience in. First, you need to get your foot in the door.
- Thinking that the hiring process is all about you. You may have incredible credentials from an ivy league school but in the end it is all about the company you are applying with. You need to think in terms of how your previous work experiences will help this company succeed and not how foolish they will be if they don't hire you.
- Lack of preparation- I have been a part of many interviews when the applicant did not know anything about the position or organization they were applying for. Do your research! With the Internet today there is no excuse not to research the annual report of the organization you are interested working for. One of the pages in the annual report is usually written by the CEO and lists the challenges facing their organization and industry. Think of ways that you may help solve those challenges. Also, be prepared to answer the question about your greatest accomplishments in each of your previous positions. I had many candidates answer this question with " I just made it through!" This is not a successful answer. It also should be an 'aha" if you cannot think of any major accomplishments in your last positions.
In order to standout in a crowd of candidates, you must have some experience that shows you can do the job that is available. Also taking a humble attitude about your creditials and preparing in depth for the interview will start you on the way to standing out and possibly being asked for a second interview. Next week I will reveal the last two mistakes I find candidates make most often while looking for work. |
