Stop Screwing Up Your Job Search In These Ten Ways

This was a fantastic article from Forbes that I read on Yahoo! Finance News today.Stop Screwing Up Your Job Search In These Ten Ways In all my years of recruiting I saw this over and over again. A job candidate ruining her own chances of getting a job that was perfect for her by inserting her own foot in her mouth!

A potential employer never wants to hear something negative about your previous employer! In the back of their mind is a niggling doubt that you would do the same thing to them if you left there. It's always about "them" - try to keep that in mind all the time!

Here are just a few of the ways you can screw up your job search:


1. Giving out references that don't sing your praises
You don’t want a reference to damn you with faint praise. Ask if the person is willing to say you walked on water. If not, find another reference.

2. Laying out your résumé in a microscopic font
Too many candidates think they need to fit all of their qualifications onto a single, illegible page. Either cut down the word count or let the copy flow onto a second page.

3. Failing to say glowing things about your former employer
Even if you were laid off from your last job, find a way to say positive things about your last employer. Hiring managers identify with your former boss, not with you.

4. Saying negative things about your own track record
Even if you are looking for work because your most recent venture has had problems, find a way to put a positive spin on your experience.