Job hunting is fun, right? You hop online, fill out several applications, and hope for the best. Then nothing happens. So, you give up on the solo search and consider using a recruiting service. This is a great idea! The best way to increase your odds of getting a job is by working with a recruiting agency (like ours) that is well connected in the job market. But for some job seekers, this doesn’t seem to increase their odds of landing a job. We post the job, you apply, and your phone doesn’t ring. What happened? Well, I’ve got 5 good reasons why job offers aren’t rolling in and what you can do to fix them right now.

You found me on Facebook, but your message is full of punctuation errors.

I don’t mind getting Facebook messages, really, I don’t, but my biggest pet peeve is having to decipher what you’re trying to say. Sure, social media was not meant to be a breeding ground for proper grammar, but punctuation is one of the easiest things to nail. If you’re not willing to add a period, question mark or comma in your message, I can only imagine what your resume looks like. So, treat social media like you would an email or resume and end your sentences with the correct punctuation.

You are persistent, but now you’re crossing over to stalker status.

Waiting to hear about a job can be nerve-racking. I get it. But there is a line between persistence and stalking. Persistence means following up after you’ve sent your information and maybe once more when you haven’t heard from us after a week. Stalking means constantly following up and hunting for new ways to communicate with us. This includes trying to friend me online, sending me messages through multiple sources, and constantly reminding me that you’re alive and need a job. As mentioned before, I know you’re probably anxious to get a new job, but remember, it’s always best to be respectful of other people’s space and privacy.

You still use AOL as your email provider.

Oh, dear. I hope you don’t know what AOL is, and if you do, I hope you’re not using it. Some 20 years ago, AOL was one of the only email servers on the market. Now, there are so many other email providers who offer better mail services; potential employers know this. And in this job market, being somewhat tech savvy is a necessity. Having an active AOL email account does not scream “tech savvy,” no matter how you try justifying it. So, update your email account to a Gmail account, and pick a good email address. I recommend your first name and your last name. If that’s not available, try variations of your name, but don’t add a long stream of numbers at the end. This makes your email address look unprofessional.

Your resume is a hot mess and you’re using Comic Sans.

If you need help with your resume, call us. We can create a highly marketable resume with the right keywords for the job you want. And if you decide to create your resume on your own, keep this information in mind:

  • Don’t use several pages to make yourself look more qualified. Your resume length should only include 10 years of work history, a summary, keywords for the job you want, and your accomplishments and education. Anything beyond this is overkill.
  • Don’t use repetitive words; it shows that you lack creativity.
  • Whatever happens, don’t use Comic Sans or anything close to Comic Sans. I usually stick to Garamond, Book Antiqua, and Calibri. Any other font will look too busy.

 Your qualifications don’t match what we posted.

Successful resumes are full of keywords and phrases that correctly communicate your skills to your potential employers. And if you’ve been job searching for a while, you may try to increase your odds by adding some extra “qualifications.” Instead, follow the 85% Rule, which means 85% of your qualifications should match the job posting. If they don’t, find jobs that fit your qualifications. Doing this will keep you from wasting your time.

Don’t be a Recruiting Horror Story!

We are more than happy to work with skilled and qualified job seekers who don’t practice any of the bad habits listed above. If you’re hunting for a new career and want a competitive edge, contact us today! To learn a bit more about recruiting practices, read here and click here for some basics about resume writing.