Have you ever wondered why you never hear from the companies you apply to? You try to make sense of it, but you still cannot understand why you have not got a job, despite the numerous job applications. We all agree that the job market is very competitive. However, you may just be unknowingly making some job application mistakes that are preventing you from getting that much-desired job. Here are some of them:
Applying for no Particular Job
Applying for just any available job is one of the job application mistakes that make you come across as desperate.
It is becoming common for job applicants to randomly send their cover letters and résumés to Human Resources Managers on LinkedIn or via email. In such situations, there are usually no openings, and so the cover letters may not be tailored to a particular job.
For instance, someone could write to an HR Manager via LinkedIn Messaging, introduce himself and ask the HR Manager to keep him in mind for when there is a job opening.
The cover letter mistake to point out here is that the applicant does not specify what job he is applying for, because there are no openings.
Asking the HR Manager of a company to save your CV and reach you when there is a suitable opening may not produce the desired result. That is the job of employment agencies.
The exception is if the company actually asks people to send in their résumés so that they can file them and find suitable candidates when they need to replace staff or expand their team.
Not Highlighting your Qualifications
One of the job application mistakes you are making might be failing to highlight your qualifications.
The goal of a cover letter is to show Hiring Managers that you are suitable for an advertised job. Job adverts enumerate the qualifications and duties required of the candidates for each role.
Not clearly showing how you are skilled and experienced enough for the role you are applying for is a huge job application mistake.
Failure to point out that you have what it takes to fit into the advertised role is a waste of your application and the recruiter’s time.
Applying for Jobs you Are not Suitable for
Have you ever applied for jobs that you know you are not suitable for? This could be one of the job application mistakes that is keeping you from getting a job.
Despite how badly you may want a job, you should not apply for a job that you are not suitable for. There are several factors that are required for you to excel at a job.
These include a passion for the job, experience of the job or something similar, natural affinity for such kind of jobs, your temperament or natural disposition, etc.
Let’s say you don’t like numbers and mathematical problems. You clearly should not apply for accounting jobs. If you are a shy person, you may not do well as a Master of Ceremonies (MC) or an On-Air Personality.
Therefore, it is essential to know yourself and what you like and are great at, before you apply for a job.
Applying for jobs that you are neither equipped for nor have an affinity for is one of the job application mistakes that will leave you frustrated (if you get the job) or soon have you looking for yet another job.
Having no Experience
Having no previous experience is one of the job application mistakes that you may have been making.
Most job adverts ask for some experience in the advertised roles.
The required length of experience could vary, depending on the complexity of the job and its position on the corporate ladder or even the company’s organogram.
While two years plus may be fine for an entry-level job, a managerial role will need much more than two years of experience.
Some companies may not be willing to train new staff or they may not have a budget for training new staff, so they would employ only people who have some experience in the specified role.
Applying to such companies, when you have no experience in the role you applied for, is a job application mistake. They would probably not take you on.
However, you might apply for the job if you have a similar experience in a related role. The company may employ you, knowing that you could easily adapt your knowledge and experience to suit their related job.
Applying from outside the Specified Location
Some jobs are on-site. Adverts for such openings indicate that they are on-site and mention the location.
Applying for such jobs is a job application mistake if you do not live in that location and you are not willing to relocate.
Assuming that the company would grant you some concession for you to work remotely may simply be wishful thinking.
Similarly, you could find some job adverts that call for applicants from only certain listed countries. For instance, some writing jobs would ask for people based in the UK or Canada, because that is where most of the companies’ readers are based.
People who are based in these countries can write on issues that happen in their countries because they are based there and have probably experienced those issues.
Someone based outside those countries would not have adequate knowledge of the subject matter, no matter how good a writer he is. So, remotely applying for such a role is probably one of the job application mistakes that is foiling your efforts.
Bragging During an Interview
Although your cover letter, résumé and job interview focus on you and what you can do, don’t get carried away. There is a thin line between bragging and tooting your horn professionally.
It would not do you any good to mention how brilliant you are and how you have never failed at anything. Your boasting could put off the interviewers and make them decide not to employ you.
Also, it would be a job application mistake to put down your former employer, while interviewing with a prospective employer, in a bid to look good. In actuality, the reverse would be the case.
If you talk badly about your former boss, the interviewers would imagine that you would do the same about them if things ever go sour.
This is one of the job application mistakes that are hard to recover from. If you have already made this mistake during an interview, you may as well forget about joining that company. Do better at the next interview. Watch what you say and put yourself in the shoes of your interviewers.
A Lengthy Cover Letter
Writing a very long cover letter is one of the job application mistakes you need to fix now. Recruiters have so many other letters to read. So, they appreciate it when letters are succinct.
Use short sentences and ensure that your paragraphs are straight to the point and that each conveys a particular idea
Being Informal
Being informal in a formal setting is one of the job application mistakes that may be ruining your chances of getting your dream job.
The recruitment process is formal. From the stages that involve written communication to the oral interview stage—all are formal.
Even though some interviews could be semi-formal, it is safer to err on the side of formality.
Keep up the formality, unless you are told otherwise by the interviewers. All the same, remember where you are and whom you are discussing with.
Never become so informal as you would with your longtime friends. No slang and no cursing are allowed, no matter how informal you get. It is still a job interview.
Poor Spelling and Grammar
Sending out your résumé and cover letter with spelling and grammatical errors is another job application mistake.
Irrespective of what kind of job you are applying for, it is important that you ensure your credentials are free of errors, before sending them out.
You could also reach us for professional résumé and cover letter writing.
Bad Formatting
The way you format your document says a lot about you and how much you value the job you are applying for.
Disorganized formatting is confusing and distracts the reader from the main content of your cover letter and résumé. It is also unprofessional.
This is one of the job application mistakes that ruin your chances from the very start. It could prevent the recruiter from reading your application, after taking a glance at the poor formatting.
Not Following Instructions
Not keeping to instructions is one of the common job application mistakes. This may be the reason for the unexplained silence from recruiters.
When a job advert specifies that you should send the link to your LinkedIn profile, sending in your résumé via email would not be a good substitute for the instruction given.
Also, you may not get considered for the job, if you are asked to send your CV and a cover letter, yet you go ahead and send in only your CV. If you really want that job, it is best you follow the instructions to the letter.
Job application mistakes are so many and varied, and could cost you the job you are applying for. Hopefully, knowledge of these job application mistakes will help you avoid them from now on.
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