The Top 10 Blunders of Online Job
Hunters
By Marc Cenedella
When it comes to using the Internet to find a job, a lot of
very smart people are making some very stupid mistakes. As head of a job-search service for
executives, I'm consistently surprised by the bungling that can occur when
otherwise talented candidates take their job hunt online.
The following is a list of the top 10 online job-search
blunders gleaned from the job-hunt horror stories and other howlers I've
encountered in recent years. Having seen plenty of candidates navigate their
online search with ease, I've also included tips on how to avoid making these
foul-ups.
1. 'Mis-merged' cover letters.
E-mail has all but replaced the traditional cover letter,
making it simple to cut and paste copies of the same letter to different hiring
managers. But be careful. It's very easy to foul up the "merge"
function in an e-mail, resulting in gaffes like: "I'd like to put my
skills to work at IBM," when applying for a job at Hewlett-Packard.
2. One person, one job, one e-mail.
The Internet has made the job-hunt process into a
direct-marketing game. Though it may seem like you've been given a direct line
of communication to a hiring manager, the reality is that this manager is
getting hundreds of resumes each day. While 10 great jobs are out there waiting
for you, you may need to send 1,000 e-mails to become an active candidate for
them.
3. Goofy personal e-mail addresses.
Personal interests outside of work and a sense of humor are
both valuable assets to any top executive. But they should have nothing to do
with your e-mail address when applying for a job. Who really wants to hire a
senior vice president of sales who has a screen name like
Snickerdoodle453@pastrylover.com, or, worse, the egotistical CommissionKing@sold.com?
4. Fun with fonts.
In their haste to stand out from the pack of job applicants,
many ill-advised job seekers use bright colors and exotic fonts in their
resumes and e-mails. It's a mistake. In e-mail, the best bet is to use a plain-text
format; it's the only way to ensure that your creative fonts won't turn into
gibberish on another e-mail system. In an MS Word document, slight variations
on Times New Roman and Arial are both commonly accepted; black and white should
be the only colors on the page.
5. Playing out of your league.
For some reason, when applicants respond to electronic job
listings via e-mail, they often exhibit delusions of career grandeur. This
phenomenon is due in large part to the fact that the Internet has made applying
so easy; it's just an e-mail, so why not take a flier on a senior-management
position, even though you aren't qualified? It's a waste of time for both you
and the recruiters. Don't fall into this common productivity trap.
6. 'What if my boss finds my resume?'
You aren't likely to get fired for looking for a new job; it
isn't an actionable cause or misconduct. If anything, finding out you're
looking will prompt your boss to improve your package, your working conditions
or your position in order to keep you. If you're in the job market, commit to
it; if you want to keep your existing job, commit to that. Indecision is
transparent in half-hearted cover letters and weak-willed interviews.
7. Resume as bio.
A resume should be more like a brochure that sells a product
than a bio. Too often, resumes are laden with every conceivable detail of a
candidate's work and life experiences. While these details may be interesting
to you and your loved ones, if they don't sell the employer on hiring you for
the specific job to which you're applying, omit them.
8. Run-on resumes.
A resume shouldn't exceed two pages. Period. Although you
aren't actually printing and mailing the document, applying online doesn't
provide a license to use a 10-page treatise in place of a concise, well-crafted
resume.
9. Jack-of-all-trades resume.
It's easy to apply for a great variety of jobs online, many
of which may be relevant targets given your diverse background. But you still
need to tailor your pitch to each opportunity. If an orchestra is looking for a
flute player, expounding on how much you love all kinds of music isn't going to
get you the interview.
10. Thinking 'Send' is the end.
The Internet has made job hunting easier. That doesn't mean
you can click "Send" on an e-mail and think your work is done. The
Internet helps you find leads and contact them, but you still need to follow
up. Get on the phone, network with friends and former colleagues, and work your
way to the top of the resume pile the old-fashioned way -- with persistence.
It's a common misconception that top-level executives and
employees earning more than $100,000 per year are naturally proficient job
hunters. But think about it: How many times in your life do you look for a new
job? Three? Maybe five?
As online recruiting keeps growing, e-mail and electronic
resumes are increasingly a job seeker's first line of communication. First
impressions count. Many well-qualified applicants are being overlooked because
of lousy formatting and other needless errors. It's common to make mistakes.
But it's also easy to avoid them.
Mr. Cenedella is president of TheLadders.com, an executive job-search
service in
Article from CareerJournal.
September 2004