These Four Job Search Mistakes Can be Forgiven

Throughout the job search process, there are a ton of details you need to pay attention to if you want to land an interview. Even after writing an engaging cover letter and fine-tuning your resume though, you may discover a few mistakes along the way that could hurt your chances. However, you shouldn't get too discouraged. In fact, you might find you still land a face-to-face interview despite committing one of the following errors.

1. Not Following an Employer on Social Media

Following an employer on social media is not a requirement. Although websites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are helpful for a job search, you don't necessarily have to be a fan of the employer through these channels to get a position. Once you get to the interview stage, these resources might be helpful as you research the company so you can have a conversation about relevant topics.

2. No Referral

The contemporary job search is less about applying through online job boards and more about having a referral who already has an in at the firm. In fact, as many as 71 percent of HR professionals value a referral as a way to hire someone over any other method. If you don't have a referral when you fill out the application, you can still land one in a pinch. The connection might be sudden, but you can still contact your potential networking person as soon as you see the job posting. The key is knowing what to talk about to get the person's attention, such as asking the person if you could ask him a few questions in the coming week.

3. Failure to Research

Your application and resume might still make it through the initial vetting process without doing a lot of research. Your qualifications, skills and experience still make you a great candidate, and a hiring manager could still notice your great accomplishments. You can still land an interview without knowing a lot about the employer. To make your job search successful, learn as much as possible by the time you get to the interview. Talk to people who know about the company, examine job review websites, search the news and look at every web page the business has so you have plenty of source material for the big day. Interviewers love someone who can talk about the employer in meaningful ways that solve problems, and that happens with diligent research on your part.

4. Forgetting to Contact Your References

When you submitted your list of references, you might have forgotten to ask someone if that was okay. Don't worry; all you have to do is email the person before HR comes calling. Let your reference know the job title and employer's name so he knows what to expect. Remind him why he feels like you were a valuable employee by mentioning some project or problem you solved in the past. Much like the referral, you have to act quickly to remedy this job search dilemma.

A small error or two shouldn't ruin your chances during a job search. Employers don't expect you to be perfect, but you can use these mistakes as a way to show your problem-solving skills before the interview starts.

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