This is How People Mess up While Hunting for Jobs

It’s hard to get good feedback when you’re doing something wrong on your job hunt. It’s a rare thing to have a hiring manager take the time to deliver bad news in a meaningful way. They’d rather move on. And this is bad for you if you’re doing something wrong on your resume or cover letter. Here are some of the big mistakes you can make that hiring managers won’t tell you.

Cover Letter is too Much about You

Yes, the company wants to learn all they can about you, but they also get that everyone is a “team player”. You may want to spend more time demonstrating that you understand the position and the culture of the company. Your knowledge doesn’t have to be in-depth, but you have to show you care and are ready to commit yourself.

Resume isn’t Connecting the Dots

Your resume should point in a direction, and that direction should hopefully be towards the job you are applying for. Obviously you can’t lie on your resume but you can accentuate details in previous roles that might make sense for the position you are applying for. Try to connect the dots for employers so they can see you’re the best decision they can make.

Simply Not Qualified

It’s important to pay close attention to the requirements your prospective employer has listed. There is some give here, but not a lot. If you don’t check one of the boxes maybe you can make up for it in other areas, but if you’re further off then you’re wasting everyone’s time. Be realistic about where you’re at in your career.

We love hiring managers who tell us everything about what they like and don’t like in different candidates, but the reality is that doesn’t happen very often. It makes things harder on everyone, but, well that’s part of the hunt. If you keep getting turned down or are having a hard time getting to that first interview, be sure to have a look at your resume and cover letter and make sure you’re doing all the above.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.

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