3 Common Job Seeker Mistakes to Avoid

From MyPath.com | Posted by Lindsey Pollak on Sep 3, 2010 8:38:30 AM

I recently posted a job listing for a paid internship
position I was offering. During the process, I was fortunate to receive
many applications and requests for more information. Not only did I find
a great intern, but I also ended up with a great blog post idea --
sharing some of the things applicants did that led me not to
hire them.

While I don’t want to pick on
anyone who applied for the job, I think there are some good lessons to
be learned from these common mistakes:

1. Not Following Directions. I
specified in my job posting that I would only accept applications on the
job site where I posted the opportunity. More than a few
applicants sent direct emails or social networking messages to me
outside of the specified job site. While I appreciated the people who
reached out in addition to applying through the requested site,
I was unimpressed by the applicants who simply didn’t follow
directions.

2. A Long Resume.
For recent graduates and young professionals, I am an unabashed
proponent of the one-page resume. I’ve seen executive vice presidents
with one-page resumes, so recent grads should have no trouble keeping to
a single page. The resume is a marketing piece after all, so one of the
things employers are looking for is your ability to edit yourself to
the essential information.

3.
Too Casual Correspondence. While I like to think of myself as
not too old-fashioned, I do appreciate a level of professionalism when
I'm considering someone for a job (especially when the job involves
working for someone who provides career advice!). I saw way too many
cover letters that began with a “Hey,” included too many exclamation
points or emoticons or otherwise treated me like a friend instead of a
potential employer. All that kept going through my mind was, “Would they
correspond with my clients this way?”

Keep these three mistakes in mind next time you apply
for a position -- if you avoid them, you're sure to stand out from the
crowd. Next week I’ll share some of the best tactics I saw in job
candidates who applied for my internship -- including the recent grad
who landed the job!