15 Tips to Guarantee You DON’T Get the Job

We understand your confusion. But we think it’s important to understand the big no-no’s when it comes to your job search. When you understand the negatives, you know which mistakes NOT to make.

Because frankly, there’s a lot of misguided information on the Internet. Each day, there’s something new. And really, none of it is new, it’s just written in a different way (much like this blog post).

This isn’t out of the ordinary for us. We’ve written and shared partner articles that are big NO-NO’s frequently.

We have articles on what NOT to do on your resume… what NOT to do on your cover letter… and even a post on interview mistakes that make you look straight up DUMB.

We figured it’s best to round out the no-no’s for your job search woes.

Listen up. They’re coming quickly.

1)   Be chronically underprepared – No excuses here. Part of being prepared is getting your hands on the best knowledge. Maybe that means reading this blog post. Maybe it means reading books. Maybe it means driving to the location of your interview the day before to make sure you don’t get lost. Maybe it means having an extra shirt in your car so that if you spill coffee on yourself, you don’t look like a total dork. The sentiment remains: be prepared.

2)   Keep your resume outdated – I think we lost track of the times we’ve heard stories about students bringing resumes to job interviews with high school experiences on them. These are okay freshman and sophomore year. But for you juniors and graduating seniors, it’s time to raise the bar.

3)   Be entitled – I know, I know. I told you to be entitled. But I also told you to be prepared to work hard. You’re not guaranteed anything in this life. Get off your ass. Clean up your resume. Keep these 7 words off of it. And start applying for jobs you actually care about.

4)   Fly under the radar – Get noticed. Make good first impressions. Connect with people offline (see #8). Flying under the radar isn’t getting you anywhere. Call employers and ask them for a job if you have to. Fortune favors the bold. Job offers are no exception.

5)   Forget about LinkedIn – Another big No-No. Start here… and then continue here. We’ll even build it for you.

6)   Remain a poor writer – There’s really no excuse here. Your lack of ability to write can and will prevent you from getting a job.

7)   Be reckless on social media – You’re not in high school anymore. Your online presence matters. Didn’t think those beer bong pictures were going to hurt you? Think again.

8)   Forget about networking – Don’t tell me you forgot about networking. It’s all over our site. Hell, our friend John Muscarello runs an entire site JUST on networking. If you’re struggling to get interviews through online applications, then maybe it’s time to switch up your method. Start connecting with people offline. It might just be the best idea you’ve ever tried.

9)   Disregard research – Please, please, PLEASE do your research on a company. The world wide web is a beautiful source of information. Use it to your advantage. Companies want well informed job candidates, and consequently, future employees. If you go to an interview without having researched, you may as well have not even gone.

10)    Make excuses – Stop. You’re in the position you are because you chose to be there. Everything in your life is a product of your own choices. And now it’s up to you to get it done. The alternative is sitting in your parent’s basement doing nothing for the rest of your life. Maybe that sounds fun to you. James Altucher put it brilliantly: it’s your fault.

11)   Look for short-term money – We haven’t talked much about this on the blog, but recruiters and employers can smell this attitude out. They know when you WANT to work for them and when you simply want a paycheck. Focus on providing value for a company and you’ll never go penniless.

12)   Stop learning – How many books did you read last year? Did you know the average CEO reads some 60+ books per year? Sixty! Books won’t steer you wrong. They’ll open your mind, give you new perspectives, challenge your beliefs. The beauty of reading a book is that it took the author their entire lives to gain the knowledge you’re now able to consume in several hours. And for you business majors, read these 9 books you can’t live without.

13)   Pay no attention to instructions – Just going to leave this right here.

14)   Make assumptions – Newsflash: assumptions aren’t serving you in your job search. Stop worrying about whether or not you’re qualified to get the job. Jessica, one of our co-founders, has gotten so many jobs she wasn’t “qualified” for, it’ll make your head spin. She provides value. And if you can communicate value and willingness to work hard, most companies will struggle to turn you away.

15)   Be unprofessional – How many times must we tell you to be responsible and professional with your social media? Nothing you put on the Internet is private. You see stories every day. It’s time to be professional and start acting like you want a job. And if you needed another reason…