Failing to be an individual is the biggest mistake you can make when applying for jobs online. Companies are bombarded by people that are blasting their mass produced resume’s out to hundreds of companies which does nothing to help the person stand out from the hundreds of others doing the same thing.
The Big Mistake: Haste
Haste makes waste – that’s what you’ve probably heard time and time again and it goes doubly so foronline job hunting. You see, applying for jobs shouldn’t always be treated like a numbers game; businesses get hundreds of job applications when they open up a position and many of them come from people that are blindly sending out as many resume’s as they can in hopes of landing any job.
Taking this approach to applying to jobs doesn’t let you stand out from others doing the same thing. Being hasty with your job applications doesn’t let you focus on perfectly crafting your cover letter and resume to fit the job you’re applying for.
How to Fix It
The good news is that by taking a few extra minutes, per application, can dramatically improve your chances of success when applying for jobs without adding a lot of stress on your part.
Say it with me: research is everything.
When applying for jobs, it’s essential that you spend at least five minutes to understand the business you’re applying for. Elements that you should be focusing on are the person you’re sending an application to, type of business and position you’re applying to.
Here are a few ways to improve your chances of landing an interview and fixing this common mistake:
- Write to the employer by name –
Take the time to figure out who placed the job application online such as the HR department head or the business owner. Try to see if the email address you’re sending a resume has a full name which you can use in your greeting. Zip over to the business website, if possible, to find out who is in charge of hiring because it’s likely you’d be talking to that person. In all, if you open your cover letter by identifying the person you’re submitting your application to, you’ll be able to catch their attention immediately and get them interested in reading more of what you have to offer.
- Learn and share thoughts on the business –
Find out the business name or website address so you can spend a few minutes digging around their business to figure out the exact position you’re applying for. Find out the type of business culture and products the company has to offer so when you do talk to someone on the phone or send a resume, you’ll be able to easily share how you experiences and skills can fit into a business rather than blindly hoping that you’re a match.
- Share a common goal –
Find out the mission statement of the business you’re applying for and find a way to share your own goals that match with the overall mission of the business. Businesses want to hire people that are going to integrate with their business and help build a great company rather than just filling a spot temporarily. If you can show that you share the same goals, you are far more likely to stick when the employer is digging through resumes.
In all, you want to be personal with your contact with each and every business.
Companies hire individuals that stand out; they aren’t looking for someone that mass sent out resumes and don’t really care about the specific job over just having one. Stand out from your ‘competition’ by calling out the people you’re going to be working with, find out their business and share common goals; all of these will personalize your resume and put you at the top of the resume stack and one step closer to landing an interview.
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My name is Hugo Riddle, editor of the site Careers and Education. I’m a geek, freelancer and online business owner. In 2011, my mom was laid off and started hunting for jobs online much like others around the country (and world). I’ve been using the web for most of my life and wanted to use my understanding of the net to help others in their search for a career, as well.ss owner.
In 2011, my mom was laid off and started hunting for jobs online much like others around the country (and world). I’ve been using the web for most of my life and wanted to use my understanding of the net to help others in their search for a career, as well.