Avoiding Costly, Simple Mistakes in Your Job Search

Looking for a job is a job in itself. You must be a professional at all times. Before you open a résumé template, sign up for an online job board, or buy an interview outfit, you need to clean up your act. Throughout your job search you will be interacting with many other professionals. It is essential to put your best foot forward in every situation.

In most situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. It is then that the little things like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described below, come into play. They are suddenly no longer small--they can cost you the job.

Your Voice Mail Message

Make sure your voice mail message at home is appropriate for receiving the calls you expect from putting your résumé out there. You cannot afford to use an audio clip from Sponge Bob Square Pants on your answering machine. Sure, you may think it’s funny, but employers won’t. The message should be clean and simple. Here is an example voicemail message you can use:

“Hi, this is (your name). I can’t answer the phone so please leave your name and number and a brief message. I will get back to you soon. Thanks for calling.”

Your Email Address

Get an email address that is professional and easy to remember so employers can email you. If you have a clever or cute email address like cutiepie@domain.com, yankeesfan@domain.com, or sexkitten@domain.com, get a new email address! Sure, it’s clever, memorable, and fun, but it’s also going to have your prospective employer thinking, “I can't believe someone would actually list this email address on her résumé, let alone use it to correspond with me. Will she use the same poor judgment on the job if I hire her?

Use your school or your alumni association email address, if possible. Another option is to create a separate email just for your job search with one of the free email providers like Google or Yahoo. Use your name or initials in your email address. That may be a challenge when using a free email system, but jsmith123943023@domain.com is much better than marathonlover1@domain.com.

For more information about free email systems check out RealWorld101.org/Free-Email-Systems

This is an excerpt from Finding Your First Job After College Guide which is included in our Real World 101 Care Packages. Visit our Care Package page to find out how to get one for yourself or for a lucky college grad!