1.
Your CV missed the mark
Many jobseekers make
the mistake of using the same generic unfocused
CV to apply for very different positions in
different industries. Your CV should to the
extent possible be tailored to the specific job
you are targeting and should show in a very
direct manner skills, qualifications and
experiences that directly come to bear on the
given job. If you are targeting a number of
different jobs, have different CVs for each job
type so that your CV can be customized to the
unique requirements of each industry. Find out
what skills and qualifications to showcase in
each CV by looking at the job description,
researching the position and industry and
talking to people in the industry, then
highlight the skills and expertise that make you
a perfect match. Employers want to hire people
who are focused and specifically interested in
their industry and company, so having a generic
unfocused CV with a very vague objective
statement and skills inventory will fail to
capture the employer's attention or convince
them that you are the best fit for the job.
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2.
You omitted a cover letter
Every CV should be
accompanied by a cover letter to personalize
your CV and communicate in a precise, specific
manner your objectives and the specific
value-added you will bring to the job. The cover
letter should be short and specific and should
leave the employer in no doubt as to your
interest in the company and industry and your
unique qualifications for the job you are
targeting. Cover letters, like the CV, should be
tailored to the company and industry and should
communicate in no uncertain terms the
suitability of the experiences and
qualifications listed on your CV to the job at
hand as well as your enthusiasm to work for the
specific company. A CV sent without a cover
letter will lack the 'personal touch' and will
likely be lost in the fray.
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3.
Poor follow up on CV
The average employer is
inundated with CVs on an ongoing basis and is
more likely than not to add your CV to the pile,
pending possible future follow-up. To ensure
your CV is acted on and does not get buried with
the rest, you MUST follow up in a diligent
manner. Remember, the purpose of the CV and
cover letter is to get an interview so call each
employer shortly after you send the CV and
communicate you are calling to follow up, ensure
receipt and arrange for a face-to-face
interview. Prepare a very short 'soft sell' for
the phone conversation to 'educate' the employer
as to who you are and why you are uniquely
suited to the job and 'excite' him to want to
meet you in person in an interview situation to
talk further details.
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4.
Lack of preparation for the interview
Many candidates make it
to the interview stage and disappoint the
employer with their obvious lack of preparation
for the meeting. Poor preparation includes
slovenliness in researching the company, not
being up-to-date on industry news, not
understanding what the job requirements are and
not having answers to common interview
questions. You must, must, must enter the
interview armed with the maximum amount of
knowledge about the company, industry and
specific job so you can then tailor your answers
specifically and position your skills and past
experience in a manner that demonstrates your
unique suitability for the position in question
and the valuable contributions you can make to
the company.
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5.
Unprofessional attire for interview
First impressions go a
long way and you may be hard-pressed undoing the
damage if you send out a wrong message with your
interview attire. Dressing too casually or
completely inappropriately for the interview may
communicate a lack of respect for professional
norms of conduct as well as an unprofessional
non-conformist attitude overall. Always aim to
err on the conservative side in your attire with
crisp, clean business attire and avoid tight,
casual or loud clothes as well as unnecessary
accessories and excess make-up for women.
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6. Unprofessional behaviour
during interview
The
interviewer is screening you during the course
of the interview for suitability to the job at
hand and is assessing you in terms of your
ability to conform in a professional way to the
requirements of the job and the company culture;
any unprofessional conduct will reflect
negatively on you and is likely to immediately
take you out of the running. This includes any
behaviour that shows a lack of respect for the
interviewer and professional norms of conduct
such as arriving late, arriving unprepared,
aggressive or unprofessional body language,
being unfamiliar with your CV, treating the
interviewer in a condescending or overly
familiar manner, talking at length about your
personal life and problems and/or obvious
exaggerations or outright lies about your work
history. It is very helpful to read some
literature about body language and interview
skills if you are relatively new to the
interviewing scene and unfamiliar with the
basics.
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7. Lack of interest in the
company
It is
surprising how many jobseekers will make it to
the interview stage and then demonstrate a total
ambivalence and lack of interest in the company
not to mention an obvious failure to research it
in detail. Employers want to hire people who
will be keen, enthusiastic members of the team
and will carry the company banner with pride;
the last thing they want are disgruntled
employees who are less than enthusiastic about
the company's products and bottom line and will
negatively impact the company culture. You must
show a familiarity with and interest in the
company and ask intelligent, relevant questions,
prepared beforehand, that demonstrate you have
done your homework and are very excited about
joining the team. Any reluctance you have about
joining the company should be kept to yourself
at this early stage of the process; concentrate
your efforts during your interviews on securing
the position.
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8. Unclear about value-added to
company
If you are
unconvinced about your value-added to the
company, it is less than likely that you will be
able to convince the employer. Make sure as you
sit in the interview seat that you are
intimately aware of the requirements of the
position and can directly relate your past work
history, aptitudes, qualifications and skills to
the requirements of the position. Imagine
yourself already on the job and communicate to
the employer how you will contribute
significantly and in record time to the
company's bottom line and how you will excel in
performance and exceed targets and expectations.
Make sure to include every skillset and past
success in bringing to bear how you will
positively impact the company's performance. If
you already see yourself on the job and can
mentally apply your past successes and skills
inventory to achieving your new targets you are
more likely to convince the employer across the
table from you of your unique and undisputed
suitability for the position.
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9. Poor follow up after
interview
Many
candidates make the mistake of assuming the ball
is outside their court following the interview
stage and fail to follow-up, thereby losing what
was a viable job opportunity. You must follow
up! Oftentimes the interviewer has had to travel
following an interview, is bogge d down with a
heavy workload and tight deadlines or is simply
waiting for you to follow-up to determine your
proactivity, energy level and interest in the
job. Immediately after an interview while the
questions and answers are fresh in your mind
write a thank you letter to the employer which
leaves him in no uncertain terms as to your
interest in the company and your unique
suitability for the job. Reiterate the
qualifications and past successes that are
immediately applicable to the position and
emphasize any points that support your case and
add gravitas to your application. If you would
like to make up for any important facts that
were missed out during the interview process or
if you feel there are specific strengths you
want to highlight following what your learned
during the interview, this is your opportunity.
Then follow up on the thank you letter with a
phone conversation reiterating your interest in
the position and enquiring what the next steps
should be.
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10. Poor reference checks
Before
giving a prospective employer names of
references make sure you are very familiar with
their professional opinion of you and there will
be no unpleasant surprises. Many a successful
job application has ground to a halt because of
unsatisfactory or outright negative feedback
from references at or after the job offer stage.
Wherever possible, get the references in writing
so that you are intimately aware of the feedback
your reference source has on you and there is no
margin for error.
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