Career Mistakes Job Seekers should avoid

The road to success is a bumpy one. There will be obstacles along the way and you will make mistakes. We are only human after all and mistakes are there to teach us valuable lessons. How else is one supposed to learn if not from his mistakes? 

Yes, making mistakes is a part of who we are. However, how we respond to the mistakes we make goes a long way in determining our personal as we as professional growth. Do you learn and grow from the mistakes? Or do you keep repeating the same pattern hoping that it will eventually lead you to success? 

Like everything else in life, making the right career decisions and choices can be tricky and we don’t always make the right ones. There are many factors to take into consideration when job hunting such as benefits, working hours, growth opportunities, etc. 

Now, one major career mistake people usually make is that they take decisions on the whim without being well-informed and they eventually end up job-hopping. They go from one organization to the other within a short span of time and this reflects on their resume, which recruiters are steering clear of. 

Here are some of the career mistakes that you, as a job seeker, should avoid:

Accepting the First Job Offer:

One common mistake people make in their career is taking the first job they are offered. Choosing the right career path is kind of like choosing a life partner. You want something that will last you a lifetime (until retiring of course) that you are happy with. Take your time to dip your toe in the water. Weigh all your options. It’s better to find your dream job even if it takes months than accepting the first offer that comes only to be miserable later. 

Not doing Research:

Now that we have the Internet, researching and exploring options have become much easier. For freshers, it is important to know everything about the industry, company and position you are applying for. You need to be aware about the current and future prospects of the career path you are planning to take. For example: If you don’t have a clue as to how much people in the position you are applying for are earning, you will not be able to give a range for your salary expectation. 

Unpolished Resume:

Carelessness is one trait that no recruiter wants to see in a job candidate. Grammatical errors and poor formatting in a resume show recruiters how careless and disorganized the candidate is, and this is one of the many reasons candidates don’t receive calls from recruiters after applying for a job opportunity. Always triple check before you hit the SEND button. The best way to own a resume that stands out is to hire professional resume writers. You’d be amazed how a well-written resume gets noticed by recruiters. 

Focusing only on the Pay:

Yes, salary plays an important role in a career decision making process, which is why many people go for companies that offer the highest salary. This is one major mistake that many people make. You see if you get a good salary and benefits but you do not fit in with the company culture or the company does not offer you growth opportunities, not only will you be unhappy with your job and start looking for a new one, but you will also be stuck in the same position for years. So, while it is good to focus on the salary, you must also consider other factors important for total job satisfaction with career growth. 

Lack of preparation for Interviews:

“It’s just an interview. I know my subject, I will be able to answer all the questions, I don’t need to prepare”. If this thought has ever crossed your mind, especially for your first job interview, we’d urge you to think twice. Unless you are a really extrovert, happy-go-lucky and confident person, you might want to prepare for the upcoming interview. You see nervousness, even the tiniest bit, has a way of summoning stress and anxiety without our say so. This is usually due to a lack of confidence. Our advice is that the night before the interview, you should do thorough research on the company you are going to be interviewed for, important figures in the organization such as the VP and the hiring manager, as well as the position you are applying for. Then, google the most common interview questions asked and ask your family members or friends to take a mock interview of you. You could also stand in front of a mirror and interview yourself. This will no doubt boost your confidence. 

Not Following-up:

When you apply for a job and you do not hear back from the recruiter within a week, you have to nudge them a little. Chances are, they never received it or they skipped it. Follow up with them to know where you stand so that you can move forward according to their response. 

After your interview, to let the interviewer know that you are a serious candidate for the job opportunity, you need to follow up with them within 24 hours after the interview. Send them a thank-you email and let them know that you’d be waiting for their response. 

Again, mistakes are bound to happen. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies. However, we do hope that reading the above-mentioned points will help you in avoiding mistakes in your career decision making. 

We will leave you here with our best wishes.