How to avoid blunders while searching for a job

Find out how to avoid the mistakes that can stall your search for the job of your choice.

1. Waiting for consultants’ response Job seekers irrationally believe that sharing resumes with consultants is enough to land them a job and, thus, await calls that never come. The market operates differently.

The consultant works on behalf of customers who pay him, that is, employers, not candidates. Any resume shared with them goes into their overflowing data bank. The mathematical probability of landing a vacancy with a customer that exactly matches your profile is remote.

If a vacancy arises later, the consultant will find your CV along with many others, as well as on job portals, negating the assumed advantage. So, only your actions will determine the outcome of your search. Increase your efforts to reach out to employers. Sharing your profile on professional networks and job portals is adequate for consultants.

2. Carpet bombing This involves an attacking army softening up enemy defences by saturating the area with artillery shells. Some job seekers adopt this strategy and send out hundreds of mails and resumes to every e-mail ID they can lay their hands on.

This only succeeds in creating new enemies. Senior managers, who take hiring decisions, get hundreds of unsolicited e-mails and treat them as junk. This approach is a total failure and a waste of your job search time. What works instead is a targeted e-mail and resume after you have made the effort to communicate with the person concerned.

You would have already discussed either a specific requirement and your fit or how the other person might connect you to a suitable reference.

3. Forgetting your homework Homework matters more in a job search than it did at school. Not spending enough time and effort on jobs that you want is a big mistake. Landing up at an interview without knowing the employer thoroughly can cost you the job.

Research all public information on the company and develop connections to get an insider’s perspective. Use your contacts to speak to a decision-maker and set up a meeting. If you have been approached by a consultant, glean every bit of information about the role and supplement it with independent efforts.

During the interview, your knowledge will signal your keenness. You will be able to contribute with ideas and relevant questions and differentiate yourself from the rest.

4. Ignoring the network Not building a strong network of people is perhaps the biggest blunder. Most jobs will come through references and connections of people you know. Networking means creating mutually beneficial relationships and building them before you need them.

Invest in people with the sole purpose of helping them. If it takes five minutes or less to connect two people for their benefit or to share a reference, then do it immediately. Start by spending time with your immediate circle of family and friends, then move to ex-colleagues.

Aim to meet 3-5 people a week over coffee or a meal just to strengthen the relationship. When you start the job search, reach out individually to your network and ask for connections or references to decision-makers you want to meet.

5. Selling the wrong story There are two ways in which you can sell wrong stories to potential employers and harm your job search.

Firstly, your resume can read like a job description instead of a list of accomplishments. The recruiter is keen to learn how well you performed in your previous role rather than the expectations from that position. Help him shortlist your resume by quantifying and benchmarking your accomplishments.

Thus, ‘Achieved 120% of sales target for fax machines, highest in a team of 20′ works better than ‘To sell fax machines to corporate clients in the southern region’.

he second set of wrong stories can be told in interviews if you only describe what you seek in the role. The employer would rather hear you speak about how well you have understood the requirements and the results you will achieve. So, focus on challenges faced by the firm and outline the solution, including an estimate of the numbers you can deliver.

6. Playing the spoilt child Many fresh graduates, either from pedigree schools or with protective parents and successful professionals, display an irrational sense of entitlement during the selection process.

This drastically cripples their chances of converting an opportunity. Good credentials merely signal your potential but employers have learnt the hard way that a strong work ethic coupled with a team player attitude delivers better results.

They may select a more respectful and humble candidate. At a senior level, if an executive approaches an employer with arrogance, the latter may weigh the benefits of having a strong gladiator versus the demoralising effect on the rest of the team members.

7. Setting up to fail Create a plan by mapping your goal and dedicating time and resources. Decide your priorities vis-a-vis role, function, job title, compensation, work hours, travel, culture, team size and job security.

Then research and speak to people to make a list of industries and firms you want to work for. Finally, figure out ways to engage with them. You also set yourself up for failure when you lose hope and give up.

An endless wait for response and rejections can drain you of motivation and the lack of confidence can cost you an interview. So keep your mind occupied in your present job or other interests, and practise your interviews repeatedly.

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