By Vrinda Gupta
You’ve applied for a job (or an internship) and are awaiting the good news…which never comes. Dejected, you curse your fate, the world, and everything in between. But there are a lot of things you could be overlooking, that are hurting your chances of securing that dream job. Here are some that you must avoid:
1.) Using lingo
One of the most rookie mistakes you come across. You need not go all Shashi Tharoor on your application, but it is common courtesy to refrain from slang while addressing your potential employers. The deletion of “bout”, “coz” and the like from your vocabulary, can save a visit to the trashcan your resume will have to endure otherwise.
2.) Incorrect grammar
Some would argue this is just the first point, rephrased. But this is too common an error to not have its own space. Far too many people don’t proof-read emails before hitting send. A grammatically incorrect message not only leaves a bad impression, but also ensures your employer will have to waste 20 more seconds of his life trying to decipher your message. Unfamiliarity with the language is excusable- casualness is not.
3.) Empty Boasting
Everybody wants to put their best foot forward- which leads to a CV that aims at showing the best side of you. But more often than not the lines between SHOWING your good side, and SHOWING OFF, blur. And that makes all the difference. The urge to wax poetic about your work is understandable- after all your application must stand out. But the employer does not want to hear you blow our own trumpet, and is too experienced in the art of catching fakers to fall for it. They recognize it- and your application promptly gets ignored.
4.) Improper formatting
If you cannot take care to make your application as presentable and readable as possible, your employer will take just about the same care to go through it. An organization gets dozens of applications each day to review. Make their job a tad easier and present a resume with a proper layout and readability. It leaves a good impression, and puts across the amount of effort you put into your work
5.) Not preparing enough for the interview
You’ve made it! You’ve crossed the hurdles- all that’s left now is an interview. You shrug it off as a done deal, show up unprepared- and realize to your utter horror, that you come across as underconfident (or over, for that matter), shoddy, and scattered. An interview can make or break your chances of getting the position. Sure, some jobs do not lay as much emphasis on it as others, but for the ones that do- do NOT neglect it. Practice in front of the mirror. Record yourself and make a note of things you do- maybe you move your hands too much, or have nervous tics. Be confident. And be prepared for technical questions regarding your area of work- you don’t want to appear incompetent.
