During the hunt for a job, it’s common to continually seek new ways to stand out to your potential employers. While job seekers are busy developing their unique elevator pitches, they might be overlooking the little mistakes that set them apart in a negative way to potential employers.
Not having the success you expected during your job search? Here are four mistakes employers might be noticing:
1. You’re Underprepared. It’s all too common for job seekers to “wing it” during the search for a new position. When it comes to the application process and interview, a potential employer is certain to notice your preparedness. Candidates who plan to successfully and positively stand out to employers spend time preparing their application before submitting it, as well as prior to each and every interview.
During the application process, it is essential that you customize both your cover letter (yes, you always need one) and resume for each position. A quick glance at the company website can provide you with important knowledge to accurately customize your application materials to the position, although even deeper research is highly recommended. This will show the employer you’re familiar with the company’s mission, values, and that you have the necessary skills for the position. Don’t waste an employer’s time by applying unprepared.
Preparation is also important when interviewing. You’ve certainly stood out to an employer if you’ve made it to the interview portion of the hiring process, but they will be able to quickly tell whether or not you have properly prepared for the conversation as soon as it begins. Stand out by knowing exactly how to discuss the previous experiences listed on your resume, as well as having in-depth knowledge about the company. Practice general interview questions and how to effectively communicate your skills to set yourself apart from the competition.
2. You Have a Poor Attitude. During the job search, the power of a positive attitude is everything. No one wants to hire a downtrodden, negative employee, and an easy way to showcase yourself in a negative light is by expressing anything less than positivity during your interactions with a potential employer.
A positive and energetic attitude will not only get you noticed, but also it will certainly set you apart from the competition. Employers want to hire candidates who not only are easy to work with and can accomplish tasks, but also those who have a smile on their face and will fit in well with the company culture.
During your interview, remain focused on your body language. Do you have a content expression on your face? Where are your hands? Do you look attentive? Your ability to communicate your excitement for the position will certainly allow you to stand out to your employers in a positive way.
3. You’re Overly Confident. While confidence is certainly an important aspect of a successful job search, too much of it is certain to have employers running in the opposite direction. Expressing too much confidence during an interview can easily set you up as a poor candidate to potential employers. Too much confidence is often attributed to those who aren’t humble workers — or are even hard to work with in general. During an interview, respectfully focus on your achievements and what you can bring to the position and company, without imposing an air of pretension on your interviewers.
4. You are Unprofessional. Whether in-person, on the phone, or online, employers find it easy to note the professionalism of their candidates. This could be as simple as an inappropriate tweet or even the way a candidate dresses for an interview.
With a quick online search, potential employers can easily access your personal brand via your social networks and blog. Anything that is less than professional will stick out like a sore thumb. Utilize your online presence to stand out in a positive way by sticking to appropriate topics.
As a job seeker, your search depends on standing out to your potential employer. Make sure you’re doing this in a positive way to ensure getting hired.
Originally published on Glassdoor