Remove These Four Techniques From Your Search

Some job search techniques may seem like a good idea when you implement them, but in reality, they may not work well for very specific reasons. Fix your mistakes before you spend too many hours without getting any bites on your line.

1. Applying Now-Now-Now

Instead of applying for a job right away, wait a few days to give yourself a chance to go over your cover letter, resume and application thoroughly before submitting. A job search isn't a race, and the post often stays up for a week or more. Sleep on it to feel if you are making the right decision in the first place. If everything feels good the next day, go for it and click Send.

2. Applying for Every Position in Sight

Everyone wants a good job yesterday, but that does not mean you should apply for every job you run across in the want ads. This is because you exhaust yourself very quickly and you fail to perform due diligence. The more you apply, the greater chances you have for making an error on an application.

Instead, narrow your job search to find a core of companies that you really want as a prospective employer. Research these firms well, get to know the company cultures and determine if the job description is a good fit for your skill set.

The key here is to work smarter, not harder, in a job search. If you send out applications for every possible job, you waste too much time and energy that could be spent tailoring your pitch for the perfect company. Make real connections with these employers by getting to know someone in HR or in the department relevant to the position. Find out what it takes to stand out from the crowd, and use that information to your advantage.

3. Applying for Jobs for Which You're Not Qualified

Don't get caught in a lie or a situation that you can't handle by putting your name in for a position that exceeds your qualifications. Your job search should focus on positions where you meet most of the requirements. It's okay to reach for a few nuggets that are slightly beyond your scope of talent. If you don't reach for the stars, you may never grow as a person. However, keep most of your efforts on jobs you know you can do and for positions in which you know you are ready to excel.

4. Sending Unsolicited Resumes

An unsolicited resume may seem like a good idea now that you have a great contact at a fabulous company. Unfortunately, that comes across to mean you think your contact should do the hard work for you. Instead of vetting a job description yourself, you want your contact to submit your resume on your behalf when the position comes open as opposed to when it posts. This contact has to read over your resume and match your skills to the description, even though you know your own skills the best. Implying someone should do your job for you is not cool.

Fix your mistakes in your job search as soon as possible before you waste any more time. See what happens when you tailor your time to the jobs you really want the most.

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