Oops! Did I Do That?

We all make mistakes, it's a natural part of life. Proves we're human. Making mistakes when you're looking for a job however, can be the difference between “You're Hired” and “Thank you for your time”. Many people make these simple job search mistakes without even realizing it. Are you making any of these common yet unexpected job hunter mistakes?

Having a messy purse or briefcase – You reach into your purse or briefcase to grab a pen, or a copy of your resume and a waterfall of gum, papers, pens and miscellaneous objects fall on the floor or you need to dig through the clutter to find what you're hunting for. Employers notice these things, and it can be perceived as messy and disorganized.

Your resume goes back to 1982 – Pages and pages of work history are actually hindering you more then they are helping you. Keeping your resume to the most relevant positions you have held within the past 10 years will help highlight your best qualities and skills. We're all proud of our first job, but a potential employer at a dot com doesn't need to know about our summers at a counsellor at Camp Iwannago.

Using your “playful” email for communicating with employers – While your friends may find your BeerBaron69@hotmail.com email address hilarious, it doesn't send the right message to employers. With all of the available free email services out there take the time to make a business email account. Using some variation of your name (ex: JodiSonoda@.com, SonodaJ@.com, JMSonoda@.com etc...) is the easiest way to come up with a professional looking email address.

You're not aware of those around you – Walking into a business you will inevitably meet random people from within the company along your way. Secretaries, janitorial staff, and other employees walking through the corridors. You never know who your passing or who is watching. Your interview begins the minute you step onto the company property. Have a smile, a hello or a simple hi for everyone you pass.

The focus isn't placed on the job – You need to promote yourself in a job interview, however you need to promote yourself in a way that makes you attractive to the company. You want to put forward what you can do for them, not just what you can do.

Are you guilty of any of these? Let me know in the comments.

By Jodi Sonoda

Jodi has been blogging for over 3 years, and is excited to currently be blogging with Nexxt for collegejobbank.com. She is attached to the internet at the hip and enjoys the constant connection. She spends most of her offline time playing dolls and reading picture books with her two year old. You can also occasionally find her rocking the mic at karaoke night.