Everyone makes mistakes. However, as a job seeker, there are some mistakes that cost you job opportunities and prevent you from getting the job of your dreams. Here are 6 of such mistakes:
Not Having an Email Address
In this day and age, an email address is more important than your home address. One of the easiest ways to reach people from anywhere in the world is through their email addresses. Writing your email address on your CV is not just essential, it is compulsory. Not having an email address or not including it on your resume is a big mistake, if you are a job seeker actively applying for jobs.
Not Responding to Emails
Different companies have different recruitment schedules at different times and for different roles. Some companies might have a backlog of orders from their customers, and as a result, need to hire more people to urgently attend to those orders. In such situations, they are likely to shortlist candidates and invite them for interviews, sooner than anyone expects or considers the norm.
So, if you are a job seeker, it is smart to check your email, several times daily. Check every folder in your email; especially the inbox and spam folders which are the usual places where non-promotional emails drop. Respond to invitations to interviews as quickly as possible. Leaving your emails unchecked and unanswered is a mistake that could cost you a job opportunity.
Being Rude to HR Managers
Always be polite to people on the phone, especially those whose phone numbers are not saved on your phone. Some job seekers have been known to speak rudely to recruiters on the other end of a call, only to realize their mistake when the recruiters finally got in a word and introduced themselves.
In such situations, there is obviously no need to invite the applicant to an interview, as nobody wants an uncouth and unprofessional employee. Make being polite your default attitude. It will save you from mistakes that could ruin your chances.
Coming Late to Interviews
First impression matters a lot. The first impression usually lasts long, and could be the only impression you have the opportunity to make, before you are placed in a category. Arriving late at the venue of an interview could be a mistake that not only makes you look unserious, but also influences whether you are employed.
Hiring Managers know that except in unusual situations, being late is a deliberate action. Lateness is mostly caused by your assessment of a prospective job and whether it is worth your effort or not.
Therefore, being late on the day when you need to impress your prospective employer the most shows that you do not value the company and the job. Hiring someone with a lax attitude to work who does not understand that punctuality is the soul of business is a business mistake that experienced HR Managers do not make.
Asking for a Rescheduled Interview
It is very unprofessional to send a message to a recruiter telling him/her that the time fixed for an interview is not convenient for you, and you would like to be interviewed hours after the slated time. Such a message will be frowned upon. That message sounds entitled and rude.
It also implies that you are likely to come to work late, miss deadlines, be absent at meetings and generally not be a good team player. If you make such a costly mistake, know for sure that you will not get that job.
Applying for Jobs in Places you Don’t Want to Relocate to
Even though many jobs are now done remotely, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some jobs are still onsite. As a matter of fact, no matter how much we all like working remotely, some jobs are likely to remain onsite; for instance, production jobs at factories.
Factory workers still need to converge at the factory and produce their products. It is unlikely that this would change, considering how expensive such machines are, and the fact that there needs to be a central place from which the products are distributed.
This, therefore, means that anyone applying for such onsite jobs has to be based in that town or ready to relocate to that town. There are also some job adverts that specify the location of the job. It would be a mistake to keep applying for jobs that are in locations where you are neither based nor ready to relocate to.
Even if you get such jobs, you just might let go of the opportunity because of the location; a decision you would not have had to make, if you had put the location into consideration, before applying for the job. Repeatedly making this mistake will not only thwart your efforts, but it could also make you give up on applying for jobs altogether.
Sometimes, in the haste to apply for a job, people make mistakes that hinder them from getting the job. Being aware of these likely pitfalls and taking steps to avoid making such mistakes increases your chances of getting a job.
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