Published on May 21st, 2020 | by Guest

7 Embarrassing Mistakes That Will Render you Unprofessional as a Job seeker

Job seekers know how exhausting a job application phase can be; First of all, you have to search through dozens of job ads until a few suitable advertisements finally surface. Then initial contact is made, curriculum vitae polished, a snappy application letter is written with the hope of getting an invitation for an interview as quickly as possible.

What often happens? While rushing to quickly submit an application letter, an applicant might often plunge into some uncomfortable blunders. These mistakes will not only make you look unprofessional, they will also most likely ruin the entire preparatory work and a rejection becomes inevitable.

In order to avoid mistakes in the cover letter, résumé and interview, it is worth working through the checklist below. You can also consult a certified resume writer who can help you with resume writing so that you secure the job of your dreams.

1. Using standard letter format or template

Anyone who sends out the umpteenth application will get tired of it at some point. Formulating 100 individual letters for different jobs is certainly not an easy task. Nevertheless, standard letters, in which the name of the company or the contact person is omitted can quickly lead to an arbitrary decision.

Experienced personnel can immediately notice whether it is a serial letter or an individually written letter. Depending on the job or company, this may not only be noticed negatively but can even become an exclusion criterion.

A cover letter should always be tailored to the company. This does not mean that it must not have paragraphs with other texts.

2. Spelling mistakes

Technically, spelling mistakes are common. Not recognizing the little spelling or grammatical error in front of us is a typical effect of the brain being busy doing something over and over again, almost routinely.

When spelling mistakes appear in your letter, it quickly leaves the impression that you were a little careless and being careful is a requirement in many professions, especially in jobs that involve responsibility.

It is highly advisable to double-check the application documents or even ask another person to go through it and let you know of any mistakes.

3. Weird email addresses

Imagine being a HR staff and email addresses like [email protected] or [email protected] pops up in your mailbox with application letters, what is likely going to be your first reaction?

Yeah that’s right; very unprofessional.

For the job application process, it is important to create and use an email account that contains your real names.

The email address does not necessarily have to be behind your own domain – Gmail or Yahoo are ok – but your first and last names are better than “yolo38” or “baddest006”.

4. Lies

In a nutshell: lies have short legs. Anyone lying and getting exposed in their cover letter, resume or interview will face an immediate rejection. No employee forgives that.

As a matter of fact, submitting fake job documents is a criminal offence. Some people will deliberately increase gaps in their CV which is often useless and unethical.

It is more important not to burden the trust and relationship between you and the company with a lie – no matter how small or how important it is for you.

5. Blaspheme about former superiors

When asked about an old job during a job interview, those who still have unprocessed emotions within themselves tend to blaspheme. This is a very big blunder because it only puts you in a bad light.

The potential new employer will inevitably think about what you will say of him when a conflict arises. Even if the old employer was an arrogant brat, that shouldn’t be discussed in your interview.

A simple sentence like “It turned out that we didn’t fit together” is quite enough. And if you think you have to put the sentence in a context, you should always remain professional.

6. Don’t be tardy

There are people who don’t care about each other’s time. They are always late and that is at least disrespectful. “People who are important are waited for,” is often the saying.

Punctuality is advantageous in private life, but even more so in work life. Whoever is invited to an interview should reduce the risk of being late to an absolute minimum. Start early and plan a buffer. If the meeting takes place in another city, go there a day earlier and stay at a close by hotel. Punctuality suggests commitment and good character.

7. Party photos on the Internet

Party photos on the Internet are not necessarily a mega mistake as long as they are tasteful. A group photo of a wedding you attended is fine. But a photo of you with a twisted eye and sweaty hair at a techno party with a bottle of high alcoholic drink is certainly not recommendable for your reputation.

In this respect, regularly use Google search and see which pictures can be found on the web under your name.

If something unpleasant arises, you have the option to have this content removed. You could also clean up your own social media accounts again or at least set them to private.