Jobs Seekers Beware: 6 Red Flags To Avoid

 

By David Schepp, Posted Aug 18th 2011 @ 9:30AM AOL

Searching for a job is never easy, but in this economy the challenges facing job seekers have never been greater. The jobless rate remained stuck at 9 percent in mid-August and a significant percentage of Americans -- 9.2 percent -- are working merely part time even though they desire full-time work, according to tracking data released Wednesday by Gallup.

Most of the data contained within Gallup's latest survey showed little change from last month or even from August 2010. Another useful measure is underemployment -- the number of workers who are either unemployed or working part time but seeking full-time work. In mid-August, 18.2 percent of Americans could be considered underemployed, Gallups says. That's statistically little changed from July's 18 percent or the 18.3 percent recorded in August a year ago.

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The U.S. economy simply hasn't been growing fast enough to create the number of new jobs necessary to meet population growth, let alone significantly reduce the unemployment rate, Gallup says. That outcome is consistent with the polling organization's finding that unemployment now is essentially no better than it was a year ago.

Faced with continued stiff competition within the labor market, job seekers would do well to reduce the number of missteps that can prevent them from being considered for any available positions.

Even the most qualified candidates can remove themselves from consideration if hiring managers aren't able to quickly discern whether they are a good fit, says CareerCast.com.

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is failing to pay attention to details.

"Always proofread everything that a recruiter might see, including the obvious -- your resume, cover letter and emails, as well your social-media profiles," says Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com. He adds that sloppy grammar is frequently reason enough to eliminate candidates from consideration.

Discrepancies can be another red flag for recruiters, Lee says. Differences between resumes, applications and social-media profiles raise questions in hiring managers' minds about whether an applicant is lying or just sloppy.

One way to cut down on the number of discrepancies it to create a spreadsheet that includes past jobs, degrees and awards that can be referred to when job seekers are filling out applications.

Beyond lack of attention to detail, CareerCast.com notes these other "red flags" that job seekers should avoid to better their chances of securing an interview and landing a job:

1. If you are unemployed, volunteer for a worthy cause, take a class or seek freelance work to show employers that you are still engaged in the workforce.
2. Customize your resume and cover letter to match the job description or you may not get past the applicant tracking system, which is set up to screen out candidates who do not match keywords listed in the job listing.
3. If you have lengthy gaps between jobs, briefly explain them in your cover letter.
4. In each correspondence with hiring managers, keep a formal and professional tone, using a person's surname until they indicate they don't mind being addressed more casually.
5. Use your social media pages to market and brand yourself -- and remember that there is no privacy on the Internet.
6. Avoid a cutesy email handle -- sign up for an email address that shows your professionalism.

On that last point, etiquette-expert Jacqueline Whitmore says many people don't realize that email addresses, as well as social-media sites, voicemail and other similar services, in effect, create a personal brand -- for better or for worse.

"Something as minute as your voicemail can be a significant factor in swaying a person's hiring decision if it isn't professional," says Whitmore, author of "Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work."

With stiff competition in today's job market, the odds may already be stacked against you, she says, "so don't give employers any more reasons to not hire you."