Common mistakes made when applying for a job

Take a moment to go through these questions and do you think you might have possibly done at least one of these mistakes?

Have you actually applied for a job?

Hey…!!! Don’t laugh… because I know you can be overwhelmed with the number of jobs that you are applying for and that you might forget to click “SUBMIT” or “SEND” at the end of it. These technical errors could happen at any time to anybody.

Have you missed the deadline? I suggest that you diligently take notes or a checklist of which company, what position, how you applied, whether it was submitted, when it was submitted, or whether you have withdrawn from it – on every single application you made. When you keep track of them, it will help you to know which one to follow up on later. Even when you get a response later, classify them into categories. “Selected,” “Rejected,” or “Called for interview.”

Have you given the correct contact information?

This is the one thing that really irritates me the most, but at the same time, I feel sorry for the applicant that they cannot get a response from a recruiter. I received terrific Resumes in the past, but many candidates have forgotten to leave their contact details. Or, their phone number might have missed a digit or too many letters on their email address. Or they have moved across the globe and did not update their CVs.

Very frustrating! I often have to put these fantastic applications on a ‘rejected pile.’ Simple! I cannot contact them back. Even if I can, there is no guarantee he or she will get the job. In fact, it happened to me. The email address I put in my own CV was 1 digit short. I have lost multiple good opportunities.

On the same note, this shows that no matter how impressive your resume is, if you are missing a digit on the contact information, you are suggesting that you do not pay attention to details. Indirectly, you are also the type of person who likes to rush and leave an incomplete job so you can move on, which is certainly not the most likable trait that most recruiters are looking for.

I would strongly recommend that you create a separate email address from your personal one to look more professional email address like i.e. fullname@email.com, firstname-lastname@email.com, or lastname.fullname@email.com. This will help your recruiter to identify you faster during the selection process. At the same time, it will help you to manage your applications all in the same inbox.

TIPS!!! Make sure that you always check, recheck, and triple-check – every single application. READ the instructions carefully and follow them to the ‘T’. Otherwise, it will show that you can not follow simple instructions, which might cost you your application and your dream job.

Leave your personal email address as i.e., bellabunny@email.com or handsome-edward@email.com for personal only. Really…!!! They are inappropriate and keep only your professional email for job applications only.

Are you applying for the job that was advertised?

Most of the time, it will only be around one-third of the bunch who are actually applying for the actual vacancy advertised. So, what happened to the rest of the two-thirds? Yes!!! See… you know it already… ‘rejected pile’. Sorry, it may sound harsh – but this is the reality.  So, do allow yourself time to send out the application to only vacancies that might be suitable for you or the job that you really want to do.

Don’t waste your time and energy on an application that you know will be rejected. A job that you know you might be overqualified or underqualified. Again, make sure you read carefully the job description, qualifications and requirements. If they require a female and you are a male, please don’t even try to send the application.

“But, they might have an open position for me…”  Yes, you are right. But, most of the time, a recruiter will not have time to deal with that right now. By the time they have an opening, they might have forgotten about your resume, or you might already have a job by then.

How did you write your Resume and Application Letter?

1. Too many grammatical errors, misspellings, or wrong use of English.
2. The fonts are too big that it wastes about ten pages to print for an actual 1-page resume, or the fonts are too small that ten years of experience is trying to get crammed together in 2 pages.
3. Too many graphics, artworks, or portfolios that affecting the size of the resume. The recruiter might need a long time to download it and print it.

TIPS!!! Try to keep your resume simple as much as you can, just keep it to a maximum of 2 pages. Even if you are an Executive that has 10+ years of experience, your last 5 years’ accomplishments are the experience that counts. Whatever you have done 10 years ago may not be relevant anymore. However, if you want to include your 10+ years of experience, you can use a career summary instead of elaborating on the role in detail; because those details can be discussed in the interview session.

“But I have only done one job in the past five years! I am very loyal, you know!” Ok, in that case, include at least the past three job experiences you had. If you do not have three job experience, don’t try to make up experience. The recruiter will appreciate your honesty.

Reply to the job ad in English if it was advertised in English. If advertised in other languages, then respond in the same language. If your English is not perfect, be honest and ask for a verbal introduction if you can. Or call the advertiser instead.

How well did you sell yourself?

In the Hospitality Industry, in particular, an application often requires photos. This is because a job may require a tall, attractive, good-looking, beautiful genuine smile candidate – for example. Many times I see photos of the candidate wearing a graduation gown, and he/she graduated 3 years ago. Or on a very casual photo with a sleeveless shirt or a quick selfie. Ok, call me old school, but I see that these photos are not professional.

I suggest always taking the most recent photo for a job application. When I say ‘recent,’ I am talking about a year old. If you just graduated a year ago, it’s excellent! Congratulations! But take another photo that will represent you and show that you are a professional, not a fresh graduate. You must have had a better experience since you graduated.

Also, make sure that you are representing yourself with a genuine smile. Remember that you are not applying for a new passport or a driving license, and many recruiters will want to see you smiling, not the ‘pouting’ you.

TIPS!!! When taking a new photo, try to take it in the morning when you are still fresh. But make sure you have your breakfast before going to a photo studio. Believe me… A good breakfast will make your eyes brighter and your smile more genuine. Also, wear smart attire of standard attire colors like black, grey, blue, or brown. If an application requires you to submit a full-body picture, then make sure you follow their instruction to the ‘T.’ Avoid wearing too much makeup. Unless you are applying to become a model, the requirements might be different from the office-like job.

How did you apply? Online or In-person?

Depending on how a company is advertising its job opening, you can choose whichever channels are convenient for you. A lot of giant companies have their Career Section on their websites where you can apply directly, and you might be able to see all available openings being advertised. Some companies might have a ‘confidential’ job opening, where a recruitment agency is taking over the process.

Similarly, several job agencies are required to manage the selection process for a mass job opening. A smaller company might not have the luxury to advertise online, so a traditional way will come into play. Advertising on Community Boards, Free Classified Advertisements, Newspapers, or even social media.

If you are applying for a job in person, I just want you to be aware of the things below.

In my previous job, I saw a lot of candidates randomly applying for jobs door-to-door. Before you go ahead and take this route, try to consider these!

Make sure that you are ready to be interviewed on the spot. Meaning, dress for it! Wear a smart casual outfit, put your makeup on, shave if you are a gentleman, put on your perfume, and include a smart handbag and comfortable shoes. Remember! Your first impression is often your token to get you on the job.

I had a candidate who came looking for a job wearing a pair of jeans and flip-flops. We informed her that we did not have any vacancy at that time (not because of her outfit, by the way), and yet she came back the next day, wearing the same outfit and asking the same question. Yeah, right…! It happens!

The downside of applying for the door-to-door job is that you cannot apply for a specific job, i.e., Graphic Designer, Nurse, etc. If you are going for a general job role like admin assistant, accounting assistant, general office cleaner, or something similar, go for it. You might get lucky…!

Drop your CV only when they say they have a vacancy that you are looking for. Do not drop your CV just because you want them to have it. Your CV is not a flyer or lunch delivery menu! Where you drop it and how you drop it could also be an essential point to grab their attention.

Make sure that you drop your CV with a genuine smile! I know you are tired of going door-to-door, looking for a job… but I can assure you that a genuine smile can get you extra information about the company. Once, a candidate came looking for a job, and once I said that we did not have one, he made a strong sigh as he walked out the door.

TIPS!!! Depending on the job that you are applying, ensure that you choose the correct channel to apply. I would say – it wouldn’t be appropriate to apply door-to-door if you are trying to apply as director position. Use your networking like LinkedIn or hire a good headhunter.

Have you used keywords to help optimize the search of your application?

Heh…??? What is this? Have you ever heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? Well, neither did I until I discovered a way to make sure that your recruiter got your message and easily searched your Resume.

Okay, I will challenge you now – try to Google yourself – your name. What did you come up with? I hope there is something about you on social media. Basically, in short, you can add pieces of information to your email application or, in fact, a Resume to help your recruiter search your Resume faster.

For example, add in the heading of your Resume, which you post on social media, that you are an experienced Nurse, Office Manager, or Graphic Designer. Or by adding hashtags in your Resume, like ＃nurse, ＃officemanager or ＃graphicdesigner.

If you put “Actively looking for a job” on your profile, you are not actually getting the attention of the recruiter. For example, I use LinkedIn a lot to hire candidates. Let’s say I want to hire a Waiter, so I put on the search box “Waiter” and profile who have “Waiter” in their profile heading will first come on the list,; people with experience as waiters will come on the list. People who are “Actively looking for a job” are not going to get picked up by the search engine.

TIPS!!! When sending a resume by email, remember always to put your name and the job you are applying for your current job. For example, if the job ad was for an Event Manager, and let’s say you are an Office Manager who wishes to apply as an Event Manager… I suggest saving your file as “Resume-Name-Event Manager.”

For example, Resume-Lia-EventManager.pdf. This way, you are saving your recruiter time in renaming your file. Plus if they want to search for an Event Manager candidate, the search engine will pick up your file name immediately.

I often receive resumes with a filename of “My CV,” and when I saved the attachment, I ended up with 10 of “My CV.” Which one is which? Can you make their life easier?

Have you added yourself to LinkedIn?

How many of you are actually on LinkedIn? I think most of you are very familiar with Facebook. Well, LinkedIn is not far from there. Only that people use LinkedIn for professional use. It is designed for people who are looking for a job, business reference, networking, and mainly recruiting. This tool is so powerful that it is not only used locally, but millions of other people are also using it worldwide. It’s like Facebook but not for leisure.

So, why networking is important? Because you want to get to know key people working for a specific industry or company. Follow these people and companies to get the most updated news. You can also find job ads directly posted by the immediate source itself. You might be able to get information about your dream job through the link of your link… you never know.

Overwhelmed yet? I know… there is so much to take in. Take a slow baby step… you can’t become an expert in an instant. A Scientist takes months, sometimes years to discover their perfections. “Practice makes perfect!”. You will be lucky to get your dream job immediately. Not many people have that privilege. It’s very rare, but I know some people who are blessed to be successful in their dream job. So keep dreaming…

TIPS!!! If you think you are not in your dream job… do not hesitate to move on after at least two years. Do not get too comfortable!!! Otherwise, you will be in your comfort zone, and it will be harder to let go of your comfortable shoes. Right… I was talking about your job. However, if you are already comfortable in your current job… step back for a moment and see you still hungry for that dream job you have been dreaming about. Or have you changed your mind yet? It’s okay if you do. People do change their minds all the time… don’t feel guilty about it. As you get older, you might need to take a different U-turn altogether, and it’s perfectly okay…!

The same thing happens if there is no career progress within two years; go and find your own development. There are a lot of things that change within two years – Technology, Government Policies, etc. Always make sure that you upgrade yourself.