Hiring Expert With a Decade-Plus of Experience Dishes on AI and 7 More Reasons You Aren’t Finding a Job
The job market has gotten more competitive recently and finding a new job is getting more difficult in some cases. Reuters reported that U.S. job market gains are slowing and the unemployment rate has recently hit 3.9%. In a job market like this one, it’s important to stand out.
Best practices that are always wise include practicing your elevator pitch before the interview, making sure to research the company thoroughly and asking questions of your prospective employer. But, if you’re making these eight common mistakes, you’re likely lessening your chances of landing a job offer — at least according to a Reader’s Digest interview with experienced hiring manager Dave Johnson.
Mistakes That Cost You Job Opportunities
Not preparing for the interview: This is probably the most costly mistake you can make in the interview process. If you’ve finally landed an interview after days, weeks, or in some cases even months of applying for jobs, it’s critical to learn more about the company before meeting for the interview. Going in blindly can make it seem like you’re not interested in the opportunity or that you’re not the right fit for the job. It’s a sign to the HR manager that they should move on to the next candidate.
“The ideal candidate will show up 10 minutes early and be prepared with basic knowledge about what the company is and what we do, a memory of the job description and some questions for me. Not doing this makes you look green at best and lazy at worst,” Johnson observed.
Instead, be sure to do your homework on the company so you’re prepared with an arsenal of knowledge for whatever questions they throw your way.
Over-negotiating a salary offer: You’ve applied, interviewed, and finally received an actual offer of employment. Hiring managers expect at least one round of negotiating from prospective candidates regarding salary, benefits, and paid vacation after the initial offer. But, negotiating too much can come across as demanding and you could have your offer rescinded.
Instead, make one counteroffer, allow the employer to make one counteroffer, and then decide whether you’ll accept their final offer or not.
Fabricating another offer to negotiate a better offer: It’s possible that more than one company could be vying for your candidacy. That’s not a bad position to find yourself in. But, making up another job offer at the time you receive an actual offer of employment and using the fake offer as a negotiating tool is like playing with fire. If you decide to counter with the fake offer and ask for more money, the hiring manager could come back to the negotiation table to inform you that there’s no flexibility on their offer and advise you to take the other offer. You don’t want to find yourself in a position where you no longer have an offer to accept.
“This tactic is very common, and it’s OK to use a competitive offer as leverage during negotiations. But that second offer needs to really exist. I’ve seen candidates use a fake offer as a bluff, and then when I tell them we can’t match it and they should accept that offer, they fess up to try to keep my offer. Usually I’ve rescinded the offer by that point, and there’s no going back, even if they apologize. So know that if you don’t really have a second job offer, you risk ending up with no job offers at all,” Johnson explained.
Instead, simply research current job market trends and make a counteroffer based on what competitors are paying for similar roles.
Asking for feedback post-interview: Why didn’t you get hired? If the interview didn’t end in an offer, you might want to know why you didn’t get the job. Feedback can help you improve your performance for the next opportunity you get. Unfortunately, hiring managers will rarely provide feedback. HR instructs hiring managers not to give feedback because it can leave the company vulnerable to many legal issues. So, most of the time you won’t get the feedback you’re looking for.
Instead, do some self-reflection about how you think you could do better next time. if it’s a company you’d really like to work for in the future, be sure to send a follow-up note thanking them for the opportunity to speak with them and continue to look for new opportunities in the meantime.
Exaggerating your skills: Some people call it “fudging your resume.” Your resume should showcase your education, your most recent and relevant professional experience, your skills, and your contact information. If you’re making false claims about how many skills you have or you’re claiming that you’ve been at past jobs for longer than you really have, it could come back to bite you.
“Thanks to the internet, it’s pretty easy to catch these kinds of lies. And if someone is exaggerating their competency, it becomes apparent fairly quickly in the interview process, especially if the interview involves any kind of tech screening. In fact, this is why most companies put the tech screening first — to weed out people without the necessary skill set. I value honesty and being able to accurately evaluate yourself far more than I do any individual skill. Skills we can teach. Honesty, not so much,” Johnson said.
Instead, format your resume so that it stands out to hiring managers: try adding your skills section front and center at the top, followed by your professional experience and education.
Not editing your resume and cover letter before submitting a job application: Editing your resume and cover letter for proper grammar, clarity, and conciseness before submitting a job application is so important. It might be easy to throw a resume together and quickly apply to as many jobs as you can find. Although, this method is not likely to get you the best results.
Instead, be sure to proofread and tailor your resume to highlight your experience relevant to each specific job opportunity that you apply for. This should help you stand out to the hiring manager in a sea of applicants.
Submitting an AI-written cover letter: The rise of AI technology and tools such as ChatGPT, Copy.ai, and Jasper has made it easier to produce content, including written works. While using these tools for resume tips or resume formatting can be helpful, using AI to write your cover letters for you isn’t going to fly. AI writing tools can leave out specific information, produce false information, and often produce content that sounds repetitive and redundant. “During the interview process, I may notice that your written communication skills in emails don’t match the skill level in your cover letter,” Johnson said.
Instead, take the time to create a cover letter template on your own which you can use and build off to customize for each new job opportunity that you apply for.
Not informing your references before listing them to the employer: Sometimes, employers request several professional or character references as a part of the hiring process. References that you provide can give a clear indication to the employer why you’d be a great fit for the role. But, if you provide references to the employer and you neglect to inform those references, it will look bad on your part if the employer reaches out and your references are blindsided. Communication is key here, and not just with your prospective employer.
Instead, be sure to notify every person you intend to add as a reference before doing so. This way, you can confirm that they’re comfortable with being your reference and they’re aware and ready for someone to reach out to them.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Hiring Expert With a Decade-Plus of Experience Dishes on AI and 7 More Reasons You Aren’t Finding a Job
