Are you Sabotaging Your Job Search? – 7 Assumptions That Kill Your Mojo!

(1) I submitted to the job posting online and they must not be interested.
They may not be. But my money is on the fact they probably never read it, given the volume of resumes received. Do not assume you have been rejected. To be rejected, your resume has to read, evaluated, then rejected. In most cases, this did not happen if you applied through a job posting. What you can learn from this? Ensure replying to job postings is not your only job search tactic. Ensure your resume is searchable to be found and read. Approach individuals in your target companies directly. Personalize your approach for personalized results.

(2) It’s on my resume…I don’t need to rewrite it on the application.
Entering ‘see resume’ on manual or electronic application is the kiss of death, as is beginning your answer in an interview with ‘as I listed on my resume …” Admittedly, the hiring manager may not have read your resume entirely. The bottom line is they have the job you want…so you have to play the game. Frankly, not playing the game does not help you—the hiring manager will think “if they cannot follow this simple direction, what kind of employee will they be here?” Put your sense of right aside and show that you can play the game—if it is a job you want.

Practically speaking, re-entering the information makes the resume searchable in a corporate database for future consideration. Explaining in an interview something that is outlined in your resume demonstrates your communications skills and confidence to the hiring manager. There are practical reasons for asking you to do re-enter or reiterate previously expressed information, even though it’s administratively inefficient.

(3) I don’t want to bother people by emailing or calling them.
Well, then, they will not bother you either. If people do not know what you are seeking, they will not know how to help you. You need to be assertive, forthcoming and ask for help to achieve your job search goals. Not sure how? Learn what you do not know how to do. Only by effectively communicating to others what you are seeking will you have a chance to get what you want. Put another way—if someone approached you for help in a professionally concise manner and you could help, would you do it? So allow someone the opportunity to help you.

(4) They can tell from my resume that I am perfect from the job, right?
I wish it was that simple. Hiring managers, like one’s children, boss, spouse, parents, and friends, are not mind readers. You need to tell them what job you are applying for in your cover letter and in your resume. Factor in the challenging employment situation where hiring managers are sifting through hundreds or thousands of resumes, your resume needs to simply state for that hhiring manager for what you are to be considered. The longer they have to work to figure out what you do, the less likely you will get the call for the interview.

(5) I feel like I am bragging when I express all that I did. Are they going to think I am an egomaniac?I have learned that if people do not know my work or good reputation, it is up to me to ensure they do in a professional, objective, fact-driven manner presented appropriately. Clearly, you would not walk into a room with a billboard saying, “I am the best employee you will ever hire!” But being prepared to speak confidently about your achievements with measurable facts is what successful people do—and it’s often the only way someone will learn of your track record. Most reputations do not always precede the job seeker—unless you are Bill Gates or a US President. You need to inform hiring managers of how you can make an impact in their firm.

(6) They told me they were very interested in me and would call me next week…it’s now been 2 weeks…they were probably not interested or changed their mind, right?
Stop the bad thoughts! Here’s some of what is going on behind the scenes that tells you why this happens: a)The hiring manager did not know the approving boss was on a two week vacation. b) The hiring manager had a different initiative to launch that week after meeting you and did not getting around to setting up your follow-up interview until 14 business days after you met. c) The hiring manager thought only his boss had to approve the offer and discovered it needs to be approved by the corporate office in Tokyo. d) They laid off two people in HR one month ago and your hiring manager is doing both of those jobs plus his own and he is just swamped. He has not had a chance to get to it. e) I can go on and on…you get the idea…the reason you are not getting the call back often has nothing to do with you. Don’t think its all about you.

Well-intentioned hiring managers unknowingly mismanage the expectations of job seekers all the time. So if they tell you a week, think 2-3 weeks. If they tell you a month, think 2 months. And, again, until you have concrete information, be ok with no answer and do not fill in the blanks with assumption.

(7) They must have hired someone else… I have not heard from them.
When you have interviewed 2 or 3 times for a position, and then do not hear from the employer, many job seekers assume they did not get the job. I tell my clients repeatedly, do not assume that. In absence of information, do not fill in the blanks. Unless you have been told ‘no, thanks’ or see a new hire on LinkedIn with that job title you interviewed for, do not assume the position was filled without you. Often the process is takes much longer than the well-intentioned hiring manager imagined. Demonstrate patience and resiliency by being OK with the lack of an answer and politely follow-up accordingly. It will show your prospective employer how you handle adversity.

 
Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

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