The 11 Biggest Mistakes Older Job Hunters Make
1. You’re LinkedIn-less.
If you’re serious, about job-hunting today, this is non-negotiable. A recent study by the Society for Human ResourceManagement found that 77 percent of employers are using social networks to recruit, a sharp increase from the 56 percent who reported doing so in 2011. Among the recruiters using social tools, 94 percent said they use LinkedIn .
2. Your résumé sucks.
Sorry to be so blunt. You haven’t had to show anyone a résumé in years. I get it. So you throw something together and think it’s clear to anyone who reads it how amazing you are, how top of the line, award-winning spectacular. But not everyone even knows the significance of your accolades.3. You’re too cool to look needy.
Most people don’t really use their network to get a job. And the truth is people hire people they know, or people they know know. This has been the case for ages. It’s human nature and the fear of making a bad hire makes employers extremely risk adverse, particularly in today’s work environment.4. You are lazy.
Nope, no one is going to come looking for you. Get out of the door. If there’s a particular industry you’re interested in, join an association connected with it and seek out volunteer openings.
5. You think you’re special.
Many of us hit our boomer years and we’re, well, cut from our own cloth. We can’t be pigeonholed into the daft job descriptions that employers post these days. Or the job that’s open is too narrow, too restrictive, something you were doing a decade or more ago.6. You don’t bring your “A” game to the interview.
You believe you’re more qualified than the person who is interviewing you. You cop an attitude, maybe without even realizing it. You might try to tell them why their job description is faulty in some way, or unrealistic, even.7. You look like hell
. If you aren’t physically fit, get with it. People will judge you by how you look regardless of how politically incorrect that may be. When you’re physically fit, it sends the message subliminally that you’re up for the job. You have a certain vibrancy and energy that people want to be around. I don’t mean you have to run a fast mile. You just need to be in shape. Eating a healthier diet will help you, too. You’re selling the entire package of who you are–not just your work experience and talent.
8. You just don’t fit in.
You can have all the skills and experience in the world, but if you don’t fit into a company’s culture, you aren’t going to get the job and frankly, why would you want it? Consider this, 23 percent of employers will dismiss a candidate who is not a good fit for their company culture, according to CareerBuilder.
9. You wait for the phone to ring.
If you’re unemployed now, do something. Try volunteering for a nonprofit organization or do pro-bono work in a job that uses your skills.
10. You’re stuck in a moment and you can’t get out of it.
I love this line that Bono sings in the U2 song “Stuck in a Moment.” I think we can all relate to that conundrum. When it comes to landing a new job, so many people I talk to are so stuck in the idea that they need to replace the job they had before.
11. You have flat-lined intellectually.
When is the last time you bolstered your brain by learning something new, really new? If you can show a hiring manager that you’re taking classes, a workshop, working toward a professional certification, it shows that you are not stuck in your ways and are willing to learn new things.
No comments:
Post a Comment