Unless you have had jobs simply fall into your lap, you know that engaging in a job search is usually time-consuming and, the longer it takes, often stressful as well. Success is easily measured; initially by the number of interviews you get and, ultimately, in whether you receive at least one suitable job offer. However, if you are seeking employment during sluggish economic times or in a profession where competition for employment is stiff, you may experience a discouraging amount of rejection. What’s more, it’s not always easy to identify the cause for the lack of success in your job search. Is it your resume? Is it your approach? Are you even looking in the right place? If your job search isn’t yielding reasonable results, much less those you’d expected, it’s time to take inventory of your efforts to assess whether it’s style, substance, or both that are keeping you from being taken seriously. For more tips to help with your job search, resume writing, personal branding and career marketing, visit www.distinctiveweb.com or follow us at: Twitter: http://twitter.com/distinctivedocs Facebook: http://facebook.com/DistinctiveDocuments Google+: http://plus.google.com/+Distinctivewebofficial LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/michelledumas

1. PROPEL YOUR JOB SEARCH TO SUCCESS!
To Land a Job Quickly, Avoid These
Common Job Hunting Mistakes
Copyright © 2013, Distinctive Career Services, LLC

2. Unless you’ve had jobs simply fall into your lap, you know that engaging in a job search is
usually time-consuming and, the longer it takes, often stressful as well. Success is
easily measured; initially by the number of interviews you get and, ultimately, in
whether you receive at least one suitable job offer.

3. However, if you are seeking employment during sluggish economic times or in a profession
where competition for employment is stiff, you may experience a discouraging amount of
rejection. What’s more, it’s not always easy to identify the cause for the lack of success in
your job search. Is it your resume? Is it your approach? Are you even looking in the right
place?

4. So (with apologies to David
Byrne and the Talking
Heads), you may ask
yourself, “Well, how do I
work this”? If your job
search isn’t yielding
reasonable results, much
less those you’d
expected, it’s time to take
inventory of your efforts to
assess whether it’s
style, substance, or both
that are keeping you from
being taken seriously.

5. We encourage you to look at the details of your job search
efforts and ask yourself if the failure to gain momentum is
due to something obvious (e.g., the need to rewrite your
resume) or because of something less so, something
process-related. Review the following items as they relate
to your current efforts to determine whether you’re
getting in the way of your own job search:

6. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.
Are you clear on what that is? Is the
job you’re seeking a reasonable target given
your training, experience, and/or the current
state of the industry? Remember that
satisfaction is a function of expectation. If
you’re expecting to be considered for a
position but your aptitude and abilities don’t
match your ambition, you may need to take a
hard look at whether you’re spending your
time wisely.

7. Do your research.
Related to the first item, if you fail
to research the industry, the
company, the profession and, if
possible, even the corporate
culture, you run the risk of being a
generic candidate, one easily
overshadowed by a candidate who
knows exactly who to contact and what
information to provide in the
application and interview. If you don’t
establish your fitness for the position at
the outset, you likely will not be given a
second chance to do so.

8. Off-the-rack never looks as good as
tailor-made.
If you don’t craft your cover
letter and resume to suit the
reader(s), you’ll demonstrate
that you didn’t consider the
position worth your time
and, (no surprise!), they’ll
demonstrate that you’re not
worth their time either.

9. Reading is fundamental.
Carefully review employer
instructions regarding the application
process. No, really. Carefully review
them.Is your resume to be in doc.
format? PDF? In the body of the email
formatted in plain text? Rest assured
that if you fail to meet this initial test
(make no mistake, it is a test), your
chances of getting the job have just
been extinguished.

10. The proof is in the pudding.
Which is our way of reminding
you to proofread your
application form, cover
letter, resume, and/or
examples of your
work. Additionally, have
someone whose abilities you
trust do so as well.

11. What goes on the Internet
stays on the Internet.
Review your online
presence. Does it convey the
personality of a person you
expect most employers
would hire? Being a
maverick or free spirit has
its place; a job search is
usually not it.

12. Use professional email
addresses.
Trust us, fratratking@ or ladygogogogo@
won’t serve you at all.