21 Ways to Sabotage Your Job Search

by Catherine Adenle

Now, when you are looking for a job, you can feel inundated if you think about the amount of factors beyond your control that might affect your chances of getting hired.

First is the economy, then comes your location, job location, industry trends and even the hiring manager’s mood during your interview can influence whether or not you get hired.

Yet, as easy as it would be to blame your lack of offers on all or one of these factors, you can’t forget that the common denominator in your job seeking activities from the CV to the interview and to the final hiring phase is YOU.

If you are not getting the kinds of interviews and job offers you feel you should be getting, perhaps one or more of these 21 common mistakes below might be the culprit.

Here are the 21 common ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your own job search:

The first steps
1. Not keeping track of your accomplishments When you’re happy in your job, it’s easy to forget about possible future job hunts. Trust me, you never know when you’ll end up looking for new work, and if you don’t keep a running list of ‘on the job accomplishments, awards and promotions, you might not remember them when it’s time for you to update your CV.

2. Leaving your former employer on a bad note Don’t leave any employer on a bad note! As much fun as it is to fantasise about telling a bad manager to sod off, don’t actually do it. Leaving a trail of angry managers or co-workers is like throwing a boomerang. It will come back to haunt you when you need references and you never know where you might meet people in future.

3. Keeping quiet about your situation and not networking If you are silent about your job search, your friends, family and colleagues would not think of you when they hear about job opportunities. As a job seeker, you want to stand out against the sea of other job-seekers. It goes without saying that having the right contacts can get you the job of your dream. Considering that most jobs come through personal connections, building your network should be high priority during and after a job search. See Become a Superstar Networker: See These 8 Tips

4. Only using the Internet Internet online job sites, social media tools and boards are fantastic resources, but you need to do some footwork too if you want to increase your chances of finding a job. Contact companies that you would like to work for, even if there are no job listings. Not all companies advertise openings online.

5. Searching only for the perfect job Yes, your job search should be focused. After all, applying to every job posting that comes your way is a good way to waste time but not an effective way to find a job you want. However, if you approach your job hunt unwilling to accept anything less than the precise job title, pay, benefits and hours you want, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

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