Guilty Until Proven Innocent

“Rather let the crime of the guilty go unpunished than condemn the innocent.” – Justinian I

I used to work for this guy that would always look for what people did wrong, never what went right. Not only was the “glass half empty” with him, it was cracked and the contents were contaminated. I remember one time where he hid M&M candy pieces in his office on the floor behind things to see how good a job the cleaning person did. The next morning, he would check to see if any M&Ms were left not found and then called the cleaning service to tell them what a lousy job they did. Every meeting with him was a challenge, you almost wanted to do something wrong so that you could tell him what it was as soon as the meeting started so that you could move on to other topics. Worse yet, he was a big fan of embarrassing people in front of others (to show how smart he was). He actually said to me one time, I don’t know what you’ve done wrong this time, but I will not rest until I find it. The only good news was that he did this to everyone so it was not like he singled you out. And, after all, he couldn’t fire everyone.

So what’s the point? You really need to make sure all of your job search documents are as perfect as they can be. Most hiring managers are overwhelmed with the sheer volume of applicants and it sometimes doesn’t take much to rule out someone (like misspelling, no cover letter, etc.).

• The Dirty Dozen Online Job Search Mistakes – This article is from Job-Hunt.org and it provides some interesting views regarding online job search mistakes. Some of these I never even considered prior to reading the article. A good example is protecting your privacy. Other mistakes, like limiting your search to the internet only or expecting that recruiters and job search sites will do all of the work for you. Take a look at this article to ensure you’ve not made one of these mistakes. While you are there, be sure to take a look at the embedded links in the article as well as all of the other resources on this site.

• 20 avoidable job search mistakes – Some of these mistakes are pretty funny (as long as it hasn’t happened to you) while others are common sense. All of them will not only help you focus your search, but also help ensure you too don’t make one of these mistakes. There are several that are a common theme, one of which is relying on a single job hunt strategy (such as using the internet only in your search). One I have not seen before (but makes perfect sense) is joining your local Chamber of Commerce. This article, from Careerbuilder.com, is worth a read.

• Avoid These 7 Killer Cover Letter Mistakes – Generally speaking, your cover letter is the first thing that a potential employer will see. Your cover letter must be perfect, otherwise, what’s the point. This article, from Monster.com, starts with a bit of a story just to highlight the point. So, what can go wrong? More than you might suspect. Yes, there are the basic things like spelling, but what about format, length, and content? This article covers them all, although my favorite error is sending a cover letter that says “here is my resume”. Take a look at the rest of Monster’s site, lots of great information.

• 5 Interview Errors That Will Torpedo Your Job Search – Sometimes it’s not what you’ve written that spoils the moment. This post is from Mint Resumes and, like the earlier comment, some of these are almost funny. From bad breath (and any other bad body smells) certainly doesn’t hurt and I’m not sure that those of us who are weird will be able to fix that one. Overall, some good missteps to avoid on your interview. Take a look at some of the other posts on this site while you are there.

• Job Search Gone Bad– A few links for you here, as there are some really good articles on this (one of which is mine):
  • Job Search Gone Bad – What not to do – A few really good links from CareerAlley.com
  • Job Searching Gone Wrong – Alison Doyle from About.com delivers again with some great links on this topic.
  • How to Quickly Recover From Bad Job Interviews – This one is from JobMob with some great advice.

Good luck in your search.

Guest Post By CareerAlley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.