1. They don’t brand themselves.
2. They begin job-hunting without knowing their value to employers.
3. They neglect their networks.
4. They forget to customize their resume for different opportunities.
5. They fail to research employers before job interviews.
Mistake 1: Failing To Brand Yourself
Your resume and LinkedIn profile are more than just a recitation of the jobs you’ve held so far. Your brand is a statement about who you are, where you’ve been and where you’re headed. Decide what sorts of jobs you want, and then brand yourself specifically for those roles.
Mistake 2: Starting A Job Search Without Knowing Your Value
Use Payscale to determine what your skills can command in the talent marketplace. If you know a recruiter or two, ask them what employers will pay someone with your background. Ask your friends.
Most job-seekers shoot too low. They don’t realize how many jobs they are qualified for. Every job search includes an element of reinvention
Mistake 3: Neglecting Your Network
Get out and touch base with the people you know when you’re job-hunting! Have coffee, lunch, breakfast or dinner with new friends and people you’ve known for years, or take a walk around the lake or go to the library together.
Most job seekers are too isolated for their own good. They sit at their computers typing away, but your job search requires human contact!
Mistake 4: Forgetting To Customize Your Resume
You don’t have to customize your resume every time you send it out, but customizing your resume is a great way to show the relevance of your background to each specific job you go after.
Mistake 5: Failing to Research an Employer Before a Job Interview
You can’t walk into a job interview knowing nothing more about an organization than what you read in a job ad! Get on the employer’s website and learn about them. What is their business — what do they sell to their customers?
Read their press releases and read their leaders’ bios. Think about your hiring manager’s goals and challenges. What would be keeping you up at night if you were the manager of his or her department?
