3 Common Mistakes To Avoid While Searching Jobs Online

If you think searching for a job is tedious, trying and unnerving, online job search is more so. Unless you blend shrewdness, judgment and logic in the right doses, online job search will rip you off energy levels and leave you frustrated.

A job seeker may browse the web for a solution to end his futile attempts to land in his coveted job. Perturbed either by unemployment or by dwindling morale in the present job, the desperate job hunter is bound to commit the following common fallacies.

Random click on the apply button without checking appropriateness of job

This is the commonest mistake committed by over enthusiastic job searchers. Based on the keywords chosen by you for setting online job alerts, online portals throw up many jobs each day. In reality the jobs may be far from relevant. Fitment of job to candidate and vice versa is where the worst mistakes in applying and hiring happen. Never hit the apply button without spending time to open and read the job description fully. Your candidature must be in-sync with the expectations in terms of

• Academic qualifications
• Level of experience
• Level of knowledge, skills and competencies
• Any sector-specific requirement. For example an FMCG company may call for people with experience in the FMCG sector.
• Work specific requirements – relocation, working in shifts
• Nature of job – permanent, contract-basis, part time

The above list is not exhaustive. Some typical examples would include – “An aggregate of more than 90% in under graduate degree” or “Having worked with at least 1 or 2 projects outside India”.  Never display lethargy to read, re-read and validate your fitment before applying. If you skip this cardinal step, your CV will land in trash, or best, you might get a regret message stating there are no current openings for your profile.

Mere matching of designations does not indicate job appropriateness. The requirements and expectations as well as key deliverables for the same position differ across organizations. Do not hesitate to write to the HR to get any queries clarified before applying. Some candidates apply to inappropriate jobs knowingly, in the blind hope that their CV will somehow catch the attention of HR. This is a condemnable notion and must never be carried out.

Another common error is the assumption of direct proportion between number of jobs applied online and the probability of pocketing a job. There is no rational connect. It is only well-researched, analyzed and targeted job search can takes to the threshold of getting hired. Job search is not a number game. Do not resort to random applications to reach the maximum number of applications permitted in a day. These days, apps of various job portals can be downloaded into smart phones, so that candidates can apply jobs on the go. But job seekers need to spend time to assess relevance of job. To cite a typical example, a Senior Analyst job alert may be for quality analyst, data analyst or a system analyst. Similarly when you search for office administrator jobs, system administrator openings can be displayed. Do not get lost in the maze. Sift the list of jobs, shortlist and apply.

Lack of a professional CV

Your CV or resume sells your profile in the market. It is the first-hand impression the hirer gets about you. Amidst the laborious task of leafing through hundreds of resumes in a day, to make it to the first list of filter, your resume must perform 100%. A well-worded resume is a powerful tool that positions you in the job market.  Some common mistakes and misconceptions about a CV will include:

• Two extremes to be avoided while writing resumes. One being sloppy grammar and poorly articulated. Your command on grammar will reflect your confidence for interpersonal communication. Avoid grammar mistakes in your CV. At the other end of the tunnel, you have those overloaded CVs with pompous and extravagant vocabulary. You are trying to depict your candidature for a job. You are taking a test on your literary talent.
• Lengthy narration of soft skills is not desirable. When you apply for a job, being hardworking, dedicated, committed etc. are welcome traits but overstatement of soft skills is to be avoided. Any person applying for any job is supposed possess all of these skills. Instead please focus on succinct presentation of professional summary, core competencies and achievements.
• Do not state compensation unless the company specifically wants you to. There are industry standards which are fixed for each position. Based your track record and performance, a fair CTC will be proposed. Negotiations can happen with the HR at a subsequent stage. Questions regarding salary are to be avoided.
• Statement of achievements during course of work, rewards and recognitions can be stated. Projects undertaken, certifications completed etc. hold lot of weightage in the CV. Including a recent photograph is in the CV is an advantage.
• Your resume must be crisp, neat and visually appealing. Ensure that the CV does not run to more than 2 pages and in case of senior candidates, a maximum of 3 pages.

Overlooking format in which jobs are to be applied

Every employer is different from other. So do their job application requirements. Job seekers must devote time and attention to the minute details of application format. Job application is the first activity that foretells a lot about professionalism, attention to detail and organizing skills of candidates for perusal by the employers. Even carefully written resumes do not get the call letter for interview, because of ignorance of procedures outlined during job application. When camouflaged in fine print, job seekers tend to miss out intricate details of the following nature:

• Some employers give a list of details to be mentioned with CV to be sent as an attachment. The details may include present designation, reasons for leaving, CTC details, notice period, how candidates came to know of the opening etc. All these answers must be provided without fail. Some candidates have an all-purpose covering letter which they tend to use in place of these details. This must never be done. Even in case a covering letter is required, it must be written specifically for the concerned employer and not a generic one. A cover letter is an outline of candidate’s persona and competencies. For different positions, different competencies may have to be highlighted.
• Some applications will not call for a CV in the initial stage. Only details are sought. Sending the CV will convey that the candidate has not gone through the job description in full. In a few cases, the HR may require the CV to be pasted on the body of the mail.
• References must be given when it is specifically asked. Not giving references may cause the application to be rejected. It is desirable to give professional references, preferably from a level senior to that of the candidate. Personal references, peers, family and references are not to be given. An ideal reference would be that of the Reporting Officer of any previous organization. Mobile numbers and email ids of the reference should be given.
• Some MNCs will need the candidates to log into their website and upload their resumes. Job seekers tend to oversee this and instead send an email of their CVs. This may look simple and quick, but such applications will not be considered. While filling forms in the website, required fields must not be filled ambiguously. There are organizations which go into every minute detail like year of passing school and percentage of marks obtained. Job seekers who may not have the information handy tend to skip the questions for rushing ahead with their applications. It is better not to apply. Get all the required information together and apply at a later date.
• Waiting patiently for an outcome may be a challenge. After applying online, job seekers must understand that there will be a cut-off date until which the HR waits for applications to pour in. Post this deadline, the shortlisting process begins for interview call. Candidates who are impatient, try reaching out the HR by calling them or emailing. Worse ever, some candidates request their friends who may be employed in the company to ply the HR for a status update on their applications. This should strictly be avoided and it cuts a very negative picture of the job seeker in the eyes of the HR.

These are few of the mistakes when applying for jobs online. Equally important are the mistakes committed during interview and post interview. The job market is a highly competitive one and only the smartest make it to the top. Visit www.poachme.in and experience sheer professionalism, as recruitment experts navigate you through the complex and complicated process of wading through thousands of jobs and help you close in on your dream job. We understand hiring methodologies and employer psychology, and facilitate the perfect match, while assuring utmost degree of confidentiality on both sides. With Poachme job search is a not random fishing in murky waters, but a smooth and targeted sail in perfection.