Tips for Job Searchers!

We are going through resumes at the moment, searching for a new administrative assistant.  We're looking for a 9 that we can turn into a 10, but mostly, we're getting 4's.  It's terrible.

So, while I am thinking of it, here are some tips for all the job hunters out there.  They seem self-explanatory to me, but I've seriously seen all of these mistakes 50 times today.

1. When applying for a position via a company's internal website...DO NOT type anything in all capital letters!  Nothing!  It looks unprofessional.  It does NOT make you stand out. (I CAN CAPITALIZE in a BLOG because it's NOT A JOB APPLICATION!)  :)


2. Check ALL grammar, spelling, contractions, tenses, etc.  I can't stress this enough.  It may seem unfair, but with hundreds of applicants for every position, the first grammatical/spelling mistake we see in someone's application usually gets it declined immediately.  If someone simply doesn't know they're making the mistakes, they're not very likely to get a job dealing with communications/correspondence, anyway - we skill-test, people.


3. Do research on the company before you apply, or else you really won't know what to write in your application.  It's VERY easy for a hiring manager to tell that someone is applying for every job they see, instead of this particularly fitting one.


4. Read the instructions carefully!  If a line item asks you to list two supervisors, their title, and their contact information, and you only list one, or list six, or don't include titles and contact information, you've just weeded your own resume out.


5. When asked about the motivation to apply for a particular job, be honest, but don't expect many calls back if your true motivation for applying is to "be employed" (i.e. get any possible job"), "make money", "move to (insert any new place)", "climb the corporate ladder", or "get my foot in the door."

6. If there's a place to paste your resume, do so, but CHECK THE FORMATTING, and fix it so the spacing and punctuation is all correct.  If you simply paste your resume and don't fix the formatting, that translates to lazy, to a hiring manager.


7. If there's another place to upload your resume, even if you also pasted it, definitely upload it.  The uploaded/formatted resume looks better.


8. If at all possible, tailor a cover letter for every position you apply for.  Attach it.  Attach letters of recommendation, or reference sheets.  Hiring managers like to see that you're prepared - but don't attach personal information, that borders on unprofessional.

9. Finally, have a public LinkedIn page with a photo that anyone can see!  In theory, we all want to think appearances don't matter, but in this economy, it simply isn't true.  With hundreds of applicants, a solid LinkedIn page with a great photo can show that you present well, and can make a huge difference in getting you an interview!