Now that you have completed your education, then definitely, your next step will be to find most fruitful and beneficiary job for yourself.
Finding a job may seem easy, but actually it is not so. There is a lot of competition, plenty of companies, different number of industries and a slight pressure to get the best job, that makes the overall job hunting program very tricky.
And as a result, you are not only left with making a mistake, but even with a job that will not help you achieve your future goals.
Finding Your First Job – Mistakes to Avoid:
But if you are focused, well prepared, determined and patient about getting your first job and are sure to avoid mistakes during your job hunt program, then positively you can easily get hired for the job of your dream, in just one go.
So, here are the major mistakes that you can avoid during your job hunting process in order to move smoothly on your path to getting your first prestigious job hiring.
1. Ignoring the Network:
It’s your first job and you want to achieve the best. But surely, you may need assistance or guidance from those who are already working in the field of your preference.
So, even if you have gone through internet, get yourself registered in various job exhibitions, still it is better to look around the local network you possess.
You can consider your school alumni or any professional association in your preferred industry.
By talking with people, who are in the industry of your choice will help you to outline your goals and the path in the most robust manner.
2. Being Overconfident:
You are an intelligent person, who has always scored top in class and college. Even your friends and relatives believe that you will make it in the first round only. But, this does not imply that you become overconfident.
There might be some mistakes that you are making, like an improper resume, or selecting an inappropriate industry or more.
If you make any sort of mistake in your first step towards career goal, then achieving long term success will surely be very much trickier for you.
For all such reasons, it is therefore wise to be confident, but don’t be overconfident and be ready to accept and rectify your mistakes.
3. Avoid Tailoring Your Resume:
If you really want to grab your first job in just one go only, then don’t submit the ‘fit for all applications’ resume to the hiring managers.
There are full possibilities that these professionals might be hunting for the best candidate with certain specific skill sets.
So, try to search the internet and prepare a resume and cover letter that shows your skills, experience and potentials that matches well with the job profile, as well as with the company’s corporate goals.
4. Being Casual about Your Online Career Profile:
Just like you have to work well on your resume and cover letter, you have to prepare a decently attractive and well versed online profile too, for meeting your career goals.
Your online profile must be updated, it must include all correct information about your qualification, skills and abilities and must be free from all sorts of errors.
You can then also, connect yourself with different professional portals available these days such as LinkedIn and more.
5. Acting Immature:
If you are asked to appear for an interview, then it’s time that you act smart, intelligent and responsible in front of the interview panel and among all those who are there to keep an eye on you.
You can avoid attending personal phone calls, or humming music or practicing all such immature things as soon as you step in the firm.
This is because, since you are now going to be part of a professional world so it’s hard, time that you become serious about your responsibilities, and clearly marks a line between professional and personal behavior.
6. Not Preparing well for the Interview:
You may be an expert in school and college days, but getting interviewed in the real professional world is a totally different experience.
So, if you are really serious about your career and don’t want to miss out the opportunity of getting hired, then it is wise that you prepare well for your interview.
You need to have enough information about the company for which you have called on. It is also good to have ample information about the industry.
Practice for speaking smoothly, confidently and behaving well in front of the hiring managers can be done to create a great impression in front of the managers in just first round only.
7. Forgetting the Internet:
While mailing your resume only to employers who are looking for a candidate, through classifieds, is a very good method to job hunt that you can consider.
But, there are new modern ways also available, that can help you to grab on the job in the industry that you have always desired for.
Internet can help you to look through job availabilities, that the employers have been posted on their websites.
Moreover, you can also look for new opportunities through social networking sites and can even submit your resume to online job portals in order to get the most suitable job for yourself.
8. Being Impatient or too Patient:
Just like both more and less of a thing are not beneficial, similarly behaving too impatient to get hired for the job, or acting too patient that may make others believe that you are not interested in the job profile at all, are risky.
You are energetic, passionate and a newbie with innovative ideas, but all this is not enough for the employer to get you hired. Give him some time to allow him to make his decision.
You need to show passion and enthusiasm about the job vacancy, but don’t overdo it much. Try to create a balance and stay relaxed yet keen, if you really want to make it to your first job.
9. Making a Negative or Bad First Impression:
Not only your speaking or communication skills will be tested, but even your body language, your gestures and other such aspects are also tested by the hiring managers. They will test you for each and every aspect without even making you know.
So, as soon as you step into the firm, just behave professionally and try to build a body language that is confident and smart.
If you are able to create a first positive impression over the hiring managers, then only you are able to get hired to the job that you wish.
10. Avoiding Submitting Applications to Multiple Job Openings:
This is your first job and you sure want it to be the best. But this does not mean that you apply for a single job, and wait the entire time for results to be announced.
In case you are not selected then what are you going to do. To avoid meeting such situation, allow yourself to be open to other similar prestigious job openings.
You can apply to multiple job postings so that your chances of getting selected for one or more increases to some extent.
11. Neglecting Time Commitment:
When you are finding a job, then this does not mean that you will get a job as soon as you are out of your college.
Only one out of hundreds get this golden chance. So, don’t panic. Just take some time and the hunt for the job with an aim and the same enthusiasm as it was during the first day.
It may take some time, but if you work hard, then you will definitely make it to your dream job.
12. Not Remaining Focused:
Since, you are on the job hunt program, there are chances that you may easily get distracted from household chores, or other activities taking place in your surroundings.
If you are not able to remain focussed on your job hunting process, then it will be very difficult for you to get a perfect job for you.
So, it is extremely essential that you take enough quality time to find the most suitable job for yourself and then apply for it.
If there are multiple positions available, that suits your criteria, then you can apply for them at one point of time in order to pick the best one out.
13. Setting Too High Expectations:
Job hunting may sound easy, but in reality it is not as simple as you may seem. There is a lot of competition in the market and lots of intelligent students apply for the same job that you have applied.
So, if you don’t want to make it harder, then don’t set your expectations or hopes too high. It may take some time, like a few weeks or even month to get hired for a prestigious job position.
14. Avoiding Acting professional:
This is your first job, but this doesn’t imply that you have the liberty to act the way you want. This holds to your mannerism, speaking skills, gestures, body language, attitude and attire.
So, if you have found a suitable job for yourself and you are going to meet the respective professionals there, then make sure you portray yourself as true, ambitious and enthusiast professional.
15. Rushing into the Job Hunt Process:
The job hunt process is an extremely crucial decision of your life, especially your career. So, if you are asked to submit an application or a resume, then don’t hurry on that.
Don’t assemble all your data at late night and send it without even checking it twice. Moreover, don’t show too much hurry for accepting a salary or job offer immediately.
Just take one to two days time to rethink that this job is going to be the best for you. This will also help you to avoid facing unnecessary troubles in the future that you may face if you opt for an unfruitful job position.
16. Filling the Application Form without Reading it Twice:
Most job applicants make mistakes when they fill their application form. This not only make them make a bad impression over the recruiters, but also make them loose that job forever.
So, while you fill your application form, make sure that you first read it carefully. You can briefly explain sections that are not relevant to you.
Avoid making any grammatical mistakes. Make sure you proofread your application form twice, before you finally submit it.
17. Not following the Instructions Properly:
When you are filling an application form then it is essential that you follow all instructions properly.
Since, this is your first job application, so it must be very important to you. Even it is your application form only, that is going to make an impression over the one who will read it. Also, every company holds a different set of instructions for their job application form.
So, for all such reasons, it is essential that you fill your application form with due care and by following all instructions properly.
18. Candidates Include Non Professional Email Ids:
This is one of the biggest and the common mistakes that most new job seekers make.
Since, you want to be a part of the professional world, so it is essential that you create a separate professional email ID for the same.
You should always create a separate, professionally appealing email ID that you can use to carry all your online, job related activities.
Make sure that your ID is free from nonsense stuff, looks decent and you use it only to carry your professional transactions and not for your personal use. This is also very much helpful in creating a positive impact over the recruiters and hiring managers.
19. Creating Resumes with Copy/Paste Text:
Since, you will create a resume for the first time, then it is obvious that this is going to be a little difficult for you.
But this does not imply that you copy and paste text from the internet or from your friends resume in order to complete the details.
Make sure that your resume is free from all such errors and you customize it in an impressive way in order to make it better match with the job opening.
20. Printing Resumes on Decorative paper:
There are chances that even during your higher studies, you may have used attractive, colorful, decorative sheets in order to create your projects or similar presentations. But this will not work well in the professional sector.
Your resume must be simple, informative about yourself and should look decently presentable.
So, make sure that you do not use any sort of decorative or colored paper to print your resume. A white color or beige color paper will be better.
21. Highlighting ‘I’ll Do Anything’:
You are very much enthusiast about your first job, but this does not imply that you may write anything you wish in your resume.
When listing down your skills or strengths, then make sure that you do not write any such stuff.
You need to understand the employer’s requirements completely and if you have such potentials in you, then you can highlight them, or list them in the skills or strengths section of your resume.
22. Asking About Salary, Holiday or Vacation Plans before Getting the Offer:
The employer have confirmed you for the job, but still not given any written offer letter. In such situation, or even after immediate joining, you should not ask such questions, especially about the holidays and all.
You can definitely confirm your salary before you get the final offer letter, but do not ask for vacations or all such stuff as you need to show the employer that you are interested in work and only work.
23. Boasting About Yourself:
When you write your resume or fill the company’s application form, then make sure you do not use words that make others feel that you are over confident, or boasting about yourself.
You do not have to list down all sections in which you were an expert. Remember, the employers are not looking for one who know a little bit of every field, but they are in search of one who holds expertise and knowledge in a particular field.
24. Acting Self Centered:
When you are in the job search process, then surely you will face an ample number of interviews.
So, make sure that you do not act self centered about yourself in front of recruiting managers. Be careful, and try to impress them with your knowledge, interest and passion about their firm or their industry.
Remember, it is not you who they want to hire, but it is your skills and knowledge that they want for their company.
25. Not Setting Yourself Apart from Others:
Too many job seekers, fail to get it through the job as they are not able to make them stand apart from others in the race.
You can avoid this problem, by presenting yourself different from others through your resume. You can highlight your skills, or include some problem solving means that you enjoy conducting.
Even if you remain clear and write all real about yourself, then you will be easily able to create a resume for yourself that makes you stand apart from the crowd.
26. Selecting a Job that seems Easy:
Don’t try to select a job as it requires less skills and seems easy. This will not help you in improving your potentials and will also not add a beneficiary for your career growth.
Such a job is suitable only to those, who are not much talented or who fear competition.
27. Selecting a Job based on its Salary or Title:
If you prefer selecting a job because it holds a very attractive or prestigious title, or because the company is paying you more, then stay back as you are making a mistake.
Make sure that you go for a job that best suits your career goals, and that can give you maximum growth and exposure.
28. Opting a Job based on the preference of your Parents:
Your parents might have some unfulfilled dreams or desires that they may wish to fulfill through your career. But this will not work for you, You should only select a job that suits you and is of your interest.
This is because, only then you will be able to work more productively and passionately during your job.
29. Feeling Homesick:
If you get an opportunity to work with a great reputed company, but to a location that is away from your hometown, then let this come in your way.
This may be your golden chance, and if you really want to explore your skills and potentials, then it is better that you stay some time away from the house.
This way, you can also levy more focus on your job, give your hundred percent to the job and make your own confident image in the society.
30. Taking Job Hunting Program for Granted:
No matter how intelligent you are, or how high scores you have, you have to work reliably and sincerely in order to get through your most preferable job.
Don’t take the job hunting process for granted, instead try to put your best efforts in it.
So, if you want the best then you have to put some hard efforts in order to find the most reliable job for yourself.
The job search process is a long and windy road, that may include some difficulties. But, if you stay realistic, prepared and well determined then you will make progress day by day and will be able to get a job that best suits your requirements. Avoid making the mistakes that are listed above to make the best out of your job search program.
