Seven Tips for Job Seekers

The company I work for is hiring, and once again I’m reminded of all the things people do wrong when they are applying for a job. When you first apply for most jobs, the only thing the hiring company knows about you is what you put on paper, or more commonly these days, in an electronic file that you email in response to an ad. Below are some tips based on some common things I have seen people do wrong.

1. Pick a name for yourself and stick with it.

This may seem painfully obvious, but I see this rule broken every time we place an ad. At the very least, the name on your cover letter should match the name on your resume. It’s also helpful if you use the same name on your email account. Most commonly, women who are presumably recently married or divorced will submit a cover letter with one last name and a resume with another. But men, too, make the mistake of using a formal name on one and a nickname or Americanized name on the other. If you use the name “Sathaphon” on your resume, please don’t use “Paul” on your cover letter. Different names on your cover letter, resume, and email will make it hard for your prospective employer to match them up.

2. The cover letter matters.

If the ad asks for a cover letter, please include a cover letter. “Hi, attached is my resume” in an email does not count. You can submit the same, generic cover letter for every job you apply for, but the more you customize your cover letter based on the hiring company and the ad they placed, the better your chances of being called in for an interview. Use words and phrases from the ad to let the company know you actually read and understood the ad, and to point out why you can be successful whatever they’re asking you to be able to do.

3. Spelling and grammar count.

Double and triple check your spelling and grammar. Find someone you know who is very good at English and have them look carefully at your resume for mistakes. Double and triple check your customized cover letter and email message before you hit send. Anyone who writes, “I am detailed orientated” is not detail oriented enough.

4. Does your job objective match the job offered?

If you have a job objective at the top of your resume, it should match the job being offered. A job objective that is too general, such as, “To work for a great company,” isn’t worth the pixels it’s written with. Don’t say your objective is to be a world-class waitress if you’re applying for a computer technician job, or vice versa. Customize your objective for each resume you send out if you’re applying for different kinds of jobs. It’s worth the couple seconds it will take.

5. Don’t send a resume which has nothing to do with the job offered.

Please don’t send in your resume full of experience in one field if the job is for something completely different. If you do want to change fields of work, at least say so in your cover letter, and explain how you think your past experience and/or education has prepared you for the job change. Otherwise, the hiring company may think you’re just sending out resumes randomly, and will “file” it accordingly.

6. Sound interested when you’re called for an interview.

When someone calls you to schedule an interview, make an effort to sound like you’re excited about the job and really hope they will hire you. It is terribly off putting when a person responds to a request for an interview with ambivalence. Even if you’re not sure it’s the job of your dreams, you applied for it and the company is thinking about hiring you. So, unless you have already accepted another offer, express interest. And don’t ask the caller to send you another copy of the ad or anything else. You found the job ad at least once before you applied. If you didn’t print it out or save it electronically, find it again. And while you’re at it, look up the company’s website and learn some stuff about them in preparation for your interview.

7. Show up early.

Arrive 10 minutes before the interview. It will show the company that promptness is important to you and that you value the time of the people who will be meeting with you. If you’re not sure how to get there or how long it will take, if possible, make a test run a day or two before the interview to find the location and to determine the actual travel time. Remember traffic patterns may be different on another day or at a different time of day, so leave yourself plenty of time on interview day.

I hope some of this helps. It would sure make me happier if everyone followed these simple rules.

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