Common Mistakes That Job Seekers Make And How To Avoid Them

In the often highly competitive landscape of the UK job market, job seekers need to be able to identify how to avoid common mistakes and ultimately improve  chances of securing the job that they are after! If you are a job seeker then below are some of the errors that you may be making and what to do about it!

One of the biggest mistakes that job seekers make is failing to research the company for which they are applying. A commonly asked question in an interview situation is why you want to work for the company or what you can offer the company so having prior knowledge is a must have so that you can give a clear and concise answer which demonstrates that you have taken the time to find out as much as you can beforehand. Therefore before any interview, take time to research the company’s history, culture and any recent news or accomplishments.

Sending the same copy of a CV to multiple employers will signal a lack of effort on your part. You must customise your CV for each individual job that you are applying for so that it fully aligns with the description of the job for which you are applying and highlight relevant skills and experiences which will match the role.

Nowadays, networking is crucial yet many job seekers will overlook the importance it has. You must attend as many industry events as possible as well as joining professional networking groups and connecting with others on platforms such as LinkedIn. This will go a long way in expanding your own network and can help discover hidden job opportunities.

While technical skills are essential for many jobs, employers do also value soft skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving. Showcase your soft skills in both your CV and in the responses you give in interviews and give specific examples of how you have demonstrated soft skills in previous roles. Similarly, do not focus just upon a title of a previous job but also be able to highlight transferable skills that are applicable to different roles.

Feeling nervous and anything but confident can seriously undermine your performance in an interview so practice as much as you can beforehand by practicing how you will respond to common interview questions and how you would handle any unexpected questions. Have a list of everything you need to have ready prior to an interview and visualise yourself succeeding. If you are not successful, don’t dwell on it or take it personally and then continue with your focused and determined quest for work.

Many job seekers miss opportunities to stand out by neglecting to send a follow up email after an interview so aim to send a polite thank you email within twenty four hours of the interview where you briefly express your gratitude and reiterate your interest in the position.

Without feedback - positive or negative, it can be challenging to identify areas for improvement for future interviews. You can politely request feedback from recruiters and interviewers and then use it constructively to refine your approach and enhance chances of successful interviews.

Relying on one source of job vacancy information such as online job boards will limit your chances of finding suitable employment so be sure to explore diverse job seeking strategies  which include the various networking opportunities, reaching out to recruitment agencies and  attending careers fairs. The UK Careers Fair hosts in excess of eighty locations so you are guaranteed one near to you where you can connect and network with a wide range of companies to explore exciting career opportunities.

By implementing certain proactive strategies in addition to perseverance and an attitude of continuous improvement, job seekers can dramatically increase their chances of securing rewarding employment.