Mind Your Resumè

With all the resources and advice available online, it’s astonishing that people continue to make the same mistakes, over and over again, when job searching.

But you don’t have to be one of them. Use this list as a sort of checklist against these common mistakes, and protect your job search against painful mistakes.

The best and the most effective way to catch Recruiters attention is to get a customized cover letter which outlines your accomplishments. The cover letter here refers to PAIN POINTS.

Every firm hires because they need help. They have certain PAIN POINTS which can only be resolved by hiring right folks who are a perfect fitment for the role. So the most strategic way to grab recruiter's eyeballs is to let them know how can solve their pain points.

You should always avoid:

1. Typos on your resume. They make you look unprofessional. Proofread with extreme prejudice.
2. Waiting for the job to come to you. You should be proactive. Make a list of the top 10 companies or jobs you want and figure out how to go after them.
3. Relying on job postings. An online ad is going to generate thousands of responses. Instead, focus much of your time on networking to find those unadvertised positions.
4. Casual searching. A productive job search is a part-time job in and of itself. Make a plan to follow with daily tasks to increase your likelihood of finding a great position quickly.
5. Lying on your resume. Seems obvious, but people still do it. In this internet age, it’s easy to be caught. Don’t do it!
6. Not casting a wide enough net. When it comes to networking, no one is off limits. Your parents’ networks, friends’ networks, old colleagues and teachers — everyone is fair game.
7. Disengaging from your networks. If you’re between jobs, it can be human nature to tend to disengage from social networks — don’t. Now is the time to stay active in your groups, professional associations, even hobbies so that you can continue to network.
8. Sending the same resume for every job. This is a good way to get yours filed in the round file (aka: the trash). Personalize every resume.
9. Talking instead of listening. When networking, your first priority should be listening. If someone asks, you can talk about the kind of job you’re seeking, but otherwise, keep your ears open more than your mouth.
10. Including random (or inappropriate) hobbies. Unless your hobbies are directly related the job you’re applying for, they just serve to take up space on a resume that could be put to better uses.
11. Failing to follow up. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as the old saying goes. Don’t just wait for the phone to ring (or the email to ding); follow up.
12. Looking for “any job.” It’s important to be open to different types of positions, but deciding you’ll take any old job makes you lose focus.
13. Appearing unprofessional. This doesn’t just apply to the interview. Sanitize all your online profiles, and be sure your email address isn’t something like “kickasscool89”.
14. Being unprepared in interviews. In this digital age, there’s no excuse for arriving to an interview unprepared.Do your homework and get facts straight about your potential employer
15. Not knowing your market value. The internet makes it easy to research an average salary for your position and experience level, allowing you to come prepared with a reasonable answer when the question of compensation arises.
16. Not having questions prepared. Almost every interviewer will ask if you have any questions toward the end of the interview. So have some questions ready to go.
17. Not saying you want the job. This is so often overlooked, it can be very powerful if you are smart enough to actually tell the interviewer that you want the job and why. Show enthusiasm. It goes a long way.