There are tons of details to remember about your job search, from writing a cover letter to shaking hands at an interview. As you prepare to land your dream job, take into account 10 things that employers really don't care about when they examine your expertise. This way, you can focus more on what matters and win the day.
1. Grade Point Average
Employers don't care about your GPA, unless you're competing with other recent graduates for an internship or a job straight out of college. Focus on graduating, developing relevant job experience and fostering soft skills that employers require.
2. Studying Abroad
Studying abroad represents a great opportunity to expand your horizons. How did you leverage this opportunity into gaining relevant experience in your chosen field of study? That's what a hiring manager wants to know.
3. Summer Jobs
Summer jobs are great ways to earn money to pay your bills. If these positions give you vital job skills that you put to use later in life, that's great. Hiring managers want to see relevant job experience instead of every job you had since you were 16.
4. College Choice
Where you attended college isn't as important as what you did with your time there. Did you study in a major appropriate for your chosen field? Gaining knowledge pertaining to your career is the key to unlocking your potential.
5. Resume Length
It's okay to have a two-page resume. HR staffers don't care if your document is more than one page. Your resume probably has to go through an applicant tracking system before it reaches human eyes. Make sure your most relevant attributes appear in a Career Summary section at the top of the resume.
6. Flashy Resume
No one wants to see multiple colors, different fonts or flashy formats for a resume unless you're a creative seeking a position as a graphic designer or digital marketer. Your resume should employ plenty of white space and feature an easy-to-read font.
7. Creative Cover Letter
In your cover letter, get to the point of why you're a perfect fit for the job using around 12 sentences. Employer's don't care to watch a two-minute music video or sift through several social media posts that demonstrate why you're the ideal candidate. Standing out to non-creative employers means showing your personality and problem-solving ability.
8. Addressing the Cover Letter to a Specific Person
People prefer "Dear Hiring Manager" as an intro to your cover letter. Job boards post work anonymously and it's hard to gauge who is in charge of hiring a position, so employers feel a generic greeting is fine.
9. Minor Interview Snafus
An interview is all about soft skills, personality and finding a perfect fit. Hiring managers don't care about minor mistakes, so long as you recover quickly.
10. How You Send a Thank-You Note
Try to send a thank-you note as soon after the interview as possible. The note doesn't have to be handwritten or very long. Just make sure it's honest and sincere.
Now that you understand 10 things that employers don't care about when it comes to a job search, you can focus on the things that do matter. Make a great impression with your top-level soft skills, experience and personality to move your career forward.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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