Are you one of those people applying for hundreds of jobs every single night on job boards wondering why you have not received a call back yet? Are you getting tired of wondering when the next great opportunity will land on your doorstep?
Okay, that sounded a little bit like one of those late-night infomercials—but my point is still the same. We have all been there, wondering how much longer we are going to spend at a job that no longer challenges us. Or even worse, wondering how much longer you are going to spend on the unemployment line.
As time goes on, job searches seem to take longer and longer and there are likely a number of reasons you have not received a call back. No, it isn’t because prospective employers do not like you. It is probably because you are committing one of the following mistakes during your job search—and you need to avoid them starting now!
You need to do more than apply on a job board
Coming from a company that has a Job Board this may seem like an odd thing to say, but it is the truth. Mass applying to jobs helps get your resume out there, but you are just a fish in a large sea of applicants for that job. You need to find a way to gain a competitive advantage for the job you are applying for.
One of the things that sets applying for a job on the NexGoal Job Board apart from others is that you are not just another fish in the sea. One of our Project Coordinators will evaluate your application and resume and reach out to you if you are a potential candidate for the position. No, this is not a marketing pitch to use NexGoal’s services—it is just how things work around here.
So, how can you get ahead if other Job Boards are not offering the same type of service? For starters, find out if there is a point of contact for the company you are applying for through that Job Board. Not all postings reveal the company you are applying for, but some may have a human resources contact. If they do, do not be afraid to send a follow-up email after applying. It shows initiative and that you are not just mass applying for jobs to the hiring manager.
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Typos on your resume
Simple enough, right? Wrong.
According to a CareerBuilder survey, 58 percent of resumes have typos. Yes you read that correctly, 58 percent! In what is likely the first point of contact for a candidate when attempting to get a job, they are making mistakes that can be easily avoidable.
Resume typos can ruin your chances for a job.
How can you avoid making these mistakes on your resume? It is simple, read it over once, read it over again, read it over one more time and then give it to a friend to read over for you. It may seem redundant, but having someone else read over your resume will help to identify potential typos you may not see because you wrote it and think it is perfect.
Nobody is perfect when it comes to writing. Even the longest tenured writers make these mistakes. I cannot tell you how many times I re-read my own writing, only to find a simple mistake after I have hit the publish button. Unfortunately for you, there is no way to un-publish a resume you have already submitted to a job—so make sure it is typo free the first time you hit submit.
Not telling them why you want the position
Many job seekers make this mistake all the time because they assume the hiring manager or recruiter knows why they want the job when they apply for it. It may seem like an honest mistake, but it is one that is made over and over again and is easily avoidable.
No, “because I need a job and money” is not an acceptable reason why you want the position either. It may be the underlying reason why you are applying, but you are going to need more than that to stand out from the crowd. Think about why that job posting stood out to you, why you are passionate about the field and how you think you can impact the company. These are reasons why you want the position.
Also, just a suggestion—be genuine about why you want the job. Whoever interviews you will ask you this question, and if you just repeat an out of the box answer it will show. So before you apply for a job, know why you want it. If you cannot answer that question before you hit submit—you probably should not be applying for the job.
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