Most job seekers are facing a suffering job market, enormous student debt and the radically changing landscape of information exchange.
Those obstacles are even greater if you happen to be a millennial without much job experience. Fortunately, military service provides more resume-worthy material than one might think, but according to Mashable, there are six common job search mistakes that younger folks tend to make.
If you're currently on the market for a new job, check out our review of the list below and see how you can overcome each issue.
Resumes
1. Not Showcasing Accomplishments.
Although most companies comb through resumes with programs that search for keywords, it's important to tell employers what it is that you've achieved. It's not enough to create a resume packed with search engine optimization (SEO) terms if it reads like a jumbled mess of desired skills. A simple way to do this is to follow each job description in your work history with a short sentence or two about what you accomplished or what you did to stand out.
2. Lack of Proofreading.
Do you remember being in high school or college and turning in a first-draft essay? Unless you meticulously analyzed each sentence as you wrote it, chances are that you lost a few points for grammar and spelling.
Unfortunately, resumes don't receive a grade; they operate purely on a pass/fail system. It's important to scan your resume top to bottom for errors, no matter how long it takes. Have a friend look at it; better yet, have five take a peek.
It's better to agonize over your resume before it goes out, rather than debate whether employers will notice the missing period you saw at the last minute.
3. Not Including a Summary of Your Work.
Summaries can be extremely helpful to people who are crunched for time; namely, in this case, hiring managers and recruiters. These professionals are usually tasked with evaluating hundreds of resumes within a short period of time, and making their job a bit easier will help you stand out. A nice attention-grabbing summary can compel someone to keep reading your resume and find out exactly why they should hire you.
Interviewing
1. Not Researching the Company to Which You're Applying.
Although you might be sending out as many resumes as you can, wherever you can, you absolutely must not let potential employers know.
If you actually land an interview, take the necessary time to understand everything you can about the company. You don't have to hunt down the name of every employee, but identify what information relates to your job and the industry the company works in and study it.
Having that knowledge will show employers that you care about the company and are the type of person who properly prepares.
2. Lack of Prepared Responses to Interview Questions.
There are many commonly asked interview questions, and there are most likely a few you should expect, based on the position and company you're considering.
It doesn't matter how good of an improvisational speaker you are, not preparing for these questions can lead to potentially dire mistakes during the interview. You won't leave a good impression if you get tongue-tied on a simple or obvious question.
3. Not Evaluating the Interview Before Following Up.
Following up after each interview is important, but evaluating that interview before the follow-up is equally important. The follow-up email isn't the right place to recreate your resume, but it is an opportune area to expand on what was discussed during the interview.
Make sure to address any concerns that were raised or very briefly and very gently expand on your qualifications.
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