Career blunders to watch out for, and mitigating suggestions to avoid them entirely.
1. THINKING OF YOU, as I pay the post man. Sending Resume’s or Thank You notes with insufficient postage.
MITGATION: Keep the current stamps in circulation on your top desk drawer, if you have old stamps, upgrade them with the appropriate current rate.
2. VIRAL MARKETING IS HOT, email viruses are not. Leveraging a business network to create possibilities is great. Emailing Resumes without cover letters is not a good idea. Never make an employer or recruiter have to choose between risking a virus or a resume, most won’t risk it.
MITIGATION: Draft up a cover letter format that can be customized in a rush. You have your resume ready in that format, keep your cover letter saved as a template.
3. “Caring about qaulity’ shows first in what and how you represent yourself in your materials. Sure spelling errors happen, but not if you are leveraging your network and tools well.
MITIGATION: Use Grammarly!! or have a friend review your resume and support material before you send it out for feedback. Turn on spell check in email and your office applications to correct frequent mistakes, then you can rush, with quality.
4. I want you to want (to hire) me, but I don’t need you to hire me. One of the most clashing fashion faux pas in the career seeking space is accessorizing with too much desperation to get a new job or visible contempt for your prior employer. You want employers and recruiters to want to work with you and want to hire you.
MITIGATION: It’s okay to feel, feelings, just don’t accessorize with them on a job interview. What’s the toughest question they can ask about this situation I do not entirely feel comfortable with? Prepare your response in advance. Whats the worst that can happen thinking, rarely does, but if it were to happen, you would be ready!
5. Momentum is rarely created waiting for the phone to ring. Remember that there are probably a half dozen possibilities that could improve the career situation you are in. After an interview, don’t stop and drop and wait. Stop Drop, and ROLL like you are on fire, and it is a matter of time and consistency before you are celebrating your success.
MITIGATION: After taking an action, it is common to ‘wait and see’. That’s not momentum, it’s hopeful thinking. Define what the next thing you can do to recognize your objective. Don’t forget that thank you’s genuinely expressing your skills, appreciation and interest can help. Other strategies when waiting for response is to have a few extra letters of recommendation in pocket, that you can send on. The best thing to do, is to keep busy working to identify what is next– what is your next opportunity, partner, interview, action, event, or activity that can create momentum. Ask a mentor for ideas!
6. People in Grim Reaper costumes have a hard time hailing cabs and finding jobs. Slipping into something a bit more professional when responding to professional opportunities helps things along. It’s not that the cab driver doesn’t want the fare, so much as they don’t want the ride to a feeling of certain death. Thinking about the ‘fun’ social image you project still matters if you also use that persona to respond to professional opportunities.
MITIGATION: If your networking from a system that will have you responding to professional opportunities, avoiding violent or off color representations of yourself when applying for a job in the social service arena, is always a good idea.
For questions about any of our Professional Business Networks, contact the administrators on the network, or you may contact Dawn C Simmons on LinkedIn or Facebook.
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