Hey job seekers—STOP DOING THIS!

I will start this article the same way I will end it: I LOVE BEING A RECRUITER! I mean that. I love helping job seekers find their next role. Occasionally, I am even a part of someone finding their dream job! It’s a fulfilling role and I don’t take it lightly. While I may be just one cog in the wheel, it is so rewarding to play even a tiny role in helping someone grow their career.

But—if I can be honest for a moment—as a recruiter, I have seen some things. I have seen job seekers do things that made me cringe. I have seen job seekers do things that made me wonder “Why the heck did they do that?” I have seen some things I would like them to stop doing. Here are just a few of those things:

STOP DOING THIS on your resume

Misspelling words

You can’t have spelling errors and typos on your resume. It can jade someone’s perception of you. Have someone proofread your resume. A second set of eyes might see something you missed. You don’t want the recruiter or hiring manager to be that second set of eyes on your resume.

Saying too much

Resume length has been a topic of discussion for years. While a digital world has given some flexibility to the rule that your resume must fit on a single page, resumes longer than 2 pages waste space. Recruiters and hiring managers review 20, 40, even 100 resumes for a single role. That’s a lot of mental bandwidth, and it’s unlikely to be expended reading six pages of your career memoir. Shorten that down! Remove irrelevant information, such as hobbies or religious affiliation. Be concise in describing your work history. Limit your resume to the equivalent of two pages (digital or not).

Saying too little

The previous tip suggested that you reduce the length of your resume, but now I’m going to tell you to add something to your resume. If you have extended gaps in employment, acknowledge them. You don’t have to go into great detail but let us know how you spent that time away from the workplace. An absence of information leaves room for someone else to fill in the blanks.

Saying it wrong

Specifically, here, I’m talking about the wrong contact information. It may seem elementary, but your resume should have your contact information on it AND the contact information should be accurate. Okay, stop laughing. Seriously, stop laughing! I have received resumes without phone numbers or email addresses. It’s really difficult to contact you for an interview without your contact information. An extension of this tip: That contact information must be accurate. I tried for weeks to contact a candidate, leaving voicemails, but he never responded. I finally caught up with him on LinkedIn, and he was appalled to learn that his resume had a typo in the phone number. He said, “I’ve been using this resume for years, Carl.” I wonder how many opportunities he missed because recruiters and hiring managers couldn’t reach him.

STOP DOING THIS during interviews

Showing up late

Just as you’d map your drive time to an in-person interview, figure out what it will take to show up to that virtual interview. If you know that your interview is being held on a particular platform (like Zoom), don’t let your interview be the first time you try it out. If you can’t tell, consider asking about the meeting platform when your interview is confirmed. It will save you (and the recruiter) much stress on interview day.

Rushing to the end

Leave yourself ample time to complete the interview. If someone tells you the interview is going to last 60 minutes, plan for 75-90 minutes. If the conversation goes well, it may last longer. If there are any technical difficulties, it may not end 60 minutes after the agreed-upon start time. Rushing through the final few questions because you have a hard stop in 7 minutes might leave the interview with the wrong lasting impression.

Being in a bad place

Not mentally, but physically. Be sure you find a good setting for your interview. It isn’t the front seat of your car.  It is distracting and may send a message that this interview is not a priority. When you are contacted for an interview, be transparent about your availability. Squeezing in an interview in the parking lot during your lunch break isn’t the best way to showcase yourself. In a worst-case scenario, use a virtual background to mask your surroundings.

STOP DOING THIS on social media

Ignoring Linkedin

If you have a LinkedIn account, check it. I have reached out to hundreds of people on LinkedIn about jobs, only to hear months later they would have been interested, but rarely check LinkedIn. You don’t have to be a power user to get value from LinkedIn. Provide your contact information on your LinkedIn profile if you are open to recruiters reaching you.

As a job seeker, you have a million things running through your mind. It’s a competitive job market and while I love being a recruiter, I know you don’t love job seeking. At Humanidei, we are committed to helping candidates put their best foot forward, offering resume review services and interview coaching to help you prepare.

I’ll say it again: I LOVE BEING A RECRUITER! This is a fun, rewarding career that lets me help people reach their goals. I hope some of these tips help you as you work to land that next job.