10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When You Are Job Searching

Job searching can be a daunting process. It’s not always easy to find a new job. It can be challenging and frustrating even for well-qualified candidates. There is no need to make it even harder by doing or saying the wrong thing when job searching or interviewing. Here’s a list of what you shouldn’t do when you are job searching.

Submit a Job Application, Resume or Cover Letter with Typos
Check your resume, cover letter, and every single email you send for grammar and spelling — even if it’s just a quick email, LinkedIn message, or Facebook message to a networking contact. If you submit a job application with a typo, it can knock you out of contention for a job. This means writing in full sentences, and checking spelling and grammar. Always, always triple-check the spelling of company and contact’s names, too — those mistakes are particularly eye-catching. 

Don’t Know Your Employment History
When you apply for jobs, whether it’s online or in-person, employers expect you to know your employment history, including dates of employment, job titles, and company information for each job you’ve held. What can you do when you don’t remember your exact dates of employment? Here’s how you can compile your personal employment history when you’re missing all the details.

Tell Everyone You’re Job Searching
It can be a good idea to tell everyone you know you’re job searching — if you’re unemployed. If you have a job and you want to keep it, be very careful who you tell that you’re job searching. Also, make sure that you’re using tools to keep your job search confidential. You don’t want your boss to hear you’re looking and possible jeopardize the job you currently hold.

Take Advantage of Your Connections
It’s appropriate to use your connections to help you get a job. However, it’s not appropriate to try to bypass the hiring process in order to try to get hired. Use your connections carefully and make sure they are advocating for your candidacy in a professional manner.

Dress Inappropriately
Don’t wear jeans or shorts, tank tops, crop tops or anything too low cut (cleavage is not a good thing when you’re job searching) or too short. Make sure you’re not showing too much skin i.e. your belly should not be showing. Don’t wear spike heels, platforms, flip flops, or your favorite pair of old ratty sneakers. It is always important to be neat, tidy, and well-groomed and to present a positive image to the employer. Here’s what you should be wearing to apply for a job.

Forget Your Resume
When applying for jobs in-person and when interviewing, bringing extra copies of your resume is a good idea. Also, consider bringing your transcript as well if you’re interviewing for an academic-related position.

Keep Your Phone On
Filling out a job application or an interview isn’t a place to sneak in a few texts. If your phone is constantly beeping or ringing, it creates a very distracting environment and reflects poorly on you. So, make it a priority to turn your phone on silent and stow it away in your bag or pocket.

Walk in with Headphones On 
Although you might be dying to catch the end of your favorite song, take your headphones out and turn off your music-playing device. Stash both in your purse or briefcase before you walk in to apply for a job or go on a job interview.

Bring Food or Drink
Plan ahead and grab a coffee or other beverage or a snack either before or after your interview, because it isn’t professional to eat or drink during your interview. Finish (or throw out) your coffee or food before your interview. Also, while you want to have fresh breath during the interview, make sure to spit out your gum or finish your mint before you enter the building. 

Bring Your Parents or Friends
Applying for jobs or going to a job interview are solo activities. Leave your parents, friends, or significant others at home. If you’re applying for a retail job and you’re with friends have them wait outside the store or elsewhere. The only time this would not apply is if you and your friends were applying at a company that was hiring for several positions.

Act Unprofessionally
No matter how difficult your job search is, make an effort to greet your interviewer kindly, and be active and engaged during the interview process. Be outgoing and positive, even if you don’t feel that way