Spooky Special: 5 frightening fumbles to avoid on the job hunt

You’re walking home alone on a chilly fall night as a sinister fog creeps across the ground and a full moon appears from behind the clouds. A chill runs down your spine and your blood runs cold as you come to a horrifying realization: you’ve missed a glaring typo in the cover letter you just submitted! It’s a scene scary enough to make even the most confident job hunter tremble—and unfortunately, it’s happened to all of us once or twice. No matter your experience level or industry, looking for a job can feel totally terrifying at times. Even the best-prepared can freeze up during an interview, and the most experienced can lack a necessary skill.

The job search has always been an arduous process, and it’s only becoming more difficult for candidates across the board. Even the highly qualified workers are feeling the squeeze as the recruitment process becomes more competitive and less logical. With ATS systems rejecting resumes en masse, and companies posting ghost jobs for nefarious purposes, applying for a job can feel like buying a lottery ticket, especially when you consider that highly educated candidates who make it through the entire interview process still only have a 52% chance of receiving an offer. In a job market where applicants can expect upwards of three interview rounds and skills tests, applying for a position seems to be a high effort and low reward. With the odds stacked against you, don’t let a simple mistake be the reason your resume ends up in the reject pile. So, what are the most common pitfalls to watch out for, and how can you avoid them?

1. Forgetting to self-assess

Whatever your reason for searching for a new job—whether you’ve just graduated, had to leave your last position, or simply want a change—there is a lot of financial, personal, and professional pressure when it comes to finding a new role. This sense of urgency may make you feel the need to apply to any opening you find. Maybe you’re applying to roles that don’t quite live up to your salary expectations, or perhaps you’re considering giving up on your desire for remote work flexibility.

When you’re not sure where your next paycheck is coming from, it can be easy to set aside your priorities when it comes to finding a new job. This is understandable, but applying for a role that isn’t the right fit could leave you worse off in the long run. If you compromise too much on salary, work-life balance, company culture, scope, etc., you run the risk of facing poor job satisfaction and burnout. Worst case scenario, you’re back on the job search six months later.

Do this instead: Before you click ‘submit’ on any applications, take some real time to look inward and assess your goals, your needs, and your wants from your next job. If you’re choosing to leave your current position, reflect on the factors that made you decide to leave. Are you looking for a more senior role? Were you lacking compensation or benefits? Did the company culture not align with your values?

It’s important to understand not only what you can bring to a job, but what you will get out of it. Only you can know what factors are most important to you. Try writing out your ideal job description, including the role, responsibilities, remote work policy, salary and benefits, etc. Once you’ve done this, identify which factors you can be flexible on, and which are non-negotiable. Then, when you’re ready to apply, you’ll have a better sense of which openings would set you up for success in the long term.

2. Neglecting your network

Another crucial element of any job hunt is nurturing your network. Today, our professional relationships are one of the most important parts of career development. In fact, it’s estimated that 44% of job openings are never posted, meaning that networking accounts for nearly half of all hires. Networking can be intimidating, especially if you’re building connections from scratch, but if you fail to foster relationships with industry peers you could be missing out on opportunities you didn’t even know existed.

Do this instead: Whether you’re a big name in your industry or you’re just starting out, building and maintaining your network is crucial to career progression. If you’re at the beginning of your career, you can join university alumni groups, reach out to old classmates, or attend events to meet other junior profiles in your industry, as well as senior workers looking to mentor. If you’ve already been working, the key is to maintain the relationships you’ve built. Reach out to old colleagues or clients once in a while to catch up, attend conferences, or participate in workshops. All it takes is for one person to think of your name when they hear of a job opening at their company.

3. Ignoring your personal brand

It’s a sad fact that recruiters simply don’t have time in the day to give more than a cursory first glance at your profile (only 7 seconds on average). That’s why it’s crucial for a hiring manager to be able to understand who you are, and what you do in the blink of an eye. If your cover letter is a meandering recount of your time in university, or your resume isn’t tailored to the role, most people won’t take the time to take a deeper look into your qualifications.

Do this instead: You don’t need to be an influencer or celebrity to have a personal brand, and a well-curated professional image is a powerful tool when it comes to landing a job. It’s common knowledge that tailoring your resume and cover letter to unique positions will help set you apart from the competition, but real personal branding extends beyond your application. Make sure your LinkedIn, portfolio, and references are all up to date, and deliver a clear picture of who you are today as a candidate. It’s great that you interned at a PR agency five years ago, but if you’re currently applying for roles as a software engineer, that fun fact is taking up crucial real estate on your resume or LinkedIn. It can be tempting to list every job you’ve worked or skill you’ve learned, but recruiters aren’t looking for a jack of all trades—make sure your personal brand proves you’re the master of one.

4. Casting your net too wide

You may think that the job search is a numbers game, that if you submit 20 applications the odds say you should receive three or four interviews. It may seem wise to cast your net as wide as possible, but the reality is that this will only hurt your chances. In a competitive job market, a half-hearted application is not enough to get your foot in the door, even if you are the perfect candidate. It would be great if you had the bandwidth to create dozens of tailored resumes and cover letters, but most of us don’t have the time. If your application isn’t tailored with skills, experience, and keywords that match the job description, there’s no chance it stands out among the other 250 applications the average job posting receives.

Do this instead: If you find yourself applying to dozens of jobs in a short period and landing no interviews, go back to mistakes one and three. Chances are that you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, or your profile isn’t cohesive. Instead of playing the odds, find a few ‘perfect’ job openings that really feel like a good match and dedicate real time to your application. Show that you’ve done research on the company and that you have a deeper understanding of what the role entails. You can even take the time to reach out to specific hiring managers to introduce yourself or ask for more details about the role. Just be careful not to be too pushy!

5. Ghosting

Halloween should be the only context in which someone could mistake you for a ghost. In such a competitive job market, speed can be nearly as important as accuracy when it comes to finding a job. If you’re lucky enough to catch the attention of a recruiter, don’t let an opportunity slip through your fingers by accidentally ghosting them. Apply Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity to the recruitment process: one day in normal time is like a week on the job hunt. Failing to be prompt and reactive could cost you your dream job.

Do this instead: If you struggle to stay on top of your communication, set up systems to streamline things. Whichever platform you use to apply, be sure to check it at least once daily to make sure you’re not missing any updates on your application. Monitor your email, LinkedIn, and voicemail as well. No one wants to answer a call from an unfamiliar number, but don’t take the chance of leaving a recruiter hanging on the other end. Moreover, be sure to stay reactive after the interview. Be sure to follow up after the conversation to thank the interviewer for their time. You can also use this as an opportunity to send samples of your work, include specific references, or discuss the next steps. Avoid being overbearing, but don’t let the hiring manager forget about you either, and certainly don’t ghost them!

Key takeaways

Navigating the job hunt can be tricky, but focusing on the right strategies can help you avoid the scariest mistakes:

• Prioritize your fit: Take time to reflect on your career goals and apply only to roles that align with your values and aspirations.
• Leverage your network: Building and maintaining relationships can unlock hidden opportunities that aren’t always visible on job boards.
• Tailor your approach: Quality applications and a strong, cohesive personal brand are far more effective than casting a wide, unfocused net.

Don’t let these common job hunt horrors haunt you! By staying mindful of these tips, you’ll be well on your way to turning this Halloween season into a treat, not a trick.

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle
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