Im a Job Search Expert, And These Are the 5 Mistakes I See Way Too Many People Make

Im a Job Search Expert, And These Are the 5 Mistakes I See Way Too Many People Make Job searching stinks. Ill say it. You have to write out a document saying what youve done, write a deckblatt letter saying what youll do, and then you get to meet with someone who is, by definition, judging you. Sign me up (Said no one ever).Heres the good news it doesnt have to stink. Lets review some of the most common mistakes that job seekers make during this process and, in doing so, give you a path thats better paved to your new job. To be clear, no one is going to hand you an engraved invitation to make your life and your work exactly the way you want them to be. But with a little strategic guidance, you can do the work to make it possible especially by avoiding these common missteps from the start.1. Use one go-to cover letter for all of the jobs you apply to.If you have just the one cover letter, you have no cover letter. Cover letters are an opportunity for you to showcase your understandin g of the hiring managers pain points and to begin to solve them. So do some research, talk about the company or organization, and distill out how your unique skills can solve those problems. Consider the following line as an example The candidate you bring on as your next Director of Marketing at Company X will need to be able to understand the way that digital and offline marketing tactics work together, be able to work cross-functionally, and be fluent in leveraging data to make a case my background speaks to those needs in Y ways. By referencing the specific pain points that a Director of Marketing at this company should be able to address, youre demonstrating that you have a deep understanding of the business objectives connected to this specific role, instead of speaking to past accomplishments in your repertoire only. And that makes for a much mora personalized cover letter overall.2. Going on interviews without preparing enough in advance.The power dynamic in an interview is uncomfortable. The interviewer is asking you questions, and you have to answer them in the right way. Heres the thing most people do elendlage prepare, or dont prepare well enough, for interviews. It not only shows, but it also prevents them from getting the job. To show your preparedness you could, for example, bring a notebook and have some questions written out. You know theyre going to ask you what questions you have. Dont first think about those questions are during the interview. Open your notebook and show that youve prepared and written down your top strategic questions about the role. You want to demonstrate that its not just any job that you want its this one, and youve prepared your questions accordingly. Further, if its around lunchtime, have a snack. Bring some water. Make aya your creature comforts are met so you can focus. And if its the middle of the summer and youre walking three blocks from the subway, for goodness sake, get there early so you can stop sweating b efore you walk in the door. awkward. 3. Trash talking your boss (or anyone).Its totally possible that your boss is a jerk and that she didnt treat you fairly. Its also possible that you were misled in the interview process and the product was not where they said that it was. However, the interviewer does not know the truth or the backstory, and it will reflect poorly on you to trash talk. Let it rip with your friends. Then, button up your story with a mentor or a coach and come up with a version that is still the truth, but leaves out any negativity.4. Writing a resume that reads like a job description.Most resumes contain tons of inputs and not nearly enough outputs. Just because you were responsible for something doesnt mean that you did it well. Consider instead Grew vertical specific book of business 20% year over year by consistently setting meetings, managing pipeline, and staying on top of industry trends that matter to prospects. Identified and attended seven to ten appropri ate industry events per year and created new opportunities through networking, thought leadership and adding value to prospects and clients. Meanwhile, most people say simply Responsible for bringing in new business. Which, of course, doesnt mean that you did.5. Ignoring your gut.Does the job seem like its not quite right? I get that not having a job, or having one thats draining your soul, is extremely uncomfortable. But that doesnt mean you should take an offer that doesnt feel right to you. There will be something better. If something seems too good to be true, or if your gut is telling you its not quite the right fit, then listenThough its a grind to look for a job, by avoiding these key mistakes and following a strategic pathway instead, you can (and will) land the role youre ultimately meant for.--Deb Berman is the Founder ofDB Career Building, a niche coaching practice that helps job seekers land their dream job.