Whether you’re a first-time job seeker or a veteran IT professional, finding a tech-savvy job is tough work. With so many things to keep in mind, it’s easy for you get off track in your job hunt. Today’s IT companies are looking for the best of the best, which means one typo on your resume or cover letter is guaranteed to derail your best efforts and land you in the “Do Not Call” pile.
Take caution and be thoughtful with every job you apply for. Even though IT employees are in high demand, the competition is tough, which means the simplest mistake in your job search can lead to disaster. Make sure you’re not making these 10 common job hunting mistakes and get the IT job of your dreams!
1. Not Reading the Job Description
After applying for an endless number of open IT positions, the job descriptions tend to blur together. But that doesn’t mean you should stop reading them. A common mistake IT job seekers make in their job hunt is forgetting to read and follow the requirements stated in the job description. Whether applicants are overqualified, or under qualified, too often, recruiters find themselves faced with resumes and cover letters that are irrelevant to the posting.
In addition to meeting every requirement listed in the job description, it’s also important to follow the instructions on how to apply. Too often, job seekers send an email with an attached resume or cover letter, failing to take into consideration special application instructions, such as including a salary history, list of references, or some other requirement. Searching for an IT job is hard – but don’t let yourself miss out on an opportunity because you didn’t read the directions!
2. Duties VS. Accomplishments
One of the most common resume errors IT professionals make is giving a laundry list of job duties instead job accomplishments. Employers can usually identify what your duties were through the job title – they would rather know what you did that made a difference. Your resume should answer the question: How did you succeed at your last place of employment?
Say you were applying for a job as a computer programmer. Instead of saying, “Wrote software programs for Company X for seven years” on your resume, you could say, “Took initiative with software development projects at Company X by finding unique solutions to client problems in a timely manner.” Specifying accomplishments instead of duties makes your resume stand out in a crowd.
3. Not Customizing Your Cover Letter
Perhaps one of the most common job seeking mistakes IT professionals make is failing to customize the cover letter for each job. As tempting as it is to cut and paste your cover letter, substituting only the appropriate employer name and position title, don’t. Hiring managers can sniff out a cut-and-paste cover letter from a mile away. Besides, it’s in your interest to tailor cover letters, and highlight your past experiences that are directly related to the job. That’s what makes you stand out!
Using a cut-and-paste cover letter is risky for a lot of reasons, most importantly because it’s easy to make mistakes, like forgetting to switch names and titles. For example, if you’re applying for an IT position at a government agency, you might want to double check that you changed the “Department of Energy” for “Department of Defense.” After all, if you can’t be bothered to pay attention to details in looking for a job, what’s the guarantee that you’ll pay attention once you get the job?
4. Using an Unprofessional Email Address
Think your fun email address is memorable and personable? Think again.
Anarchy212@gmail.com or starwarzfan4life@aol.com doesn’t exactly give off the impression of a professional looking for a job in the IT securities field. A silly email address makes potential employers think you aren’t serious and that you may act similarly on the job.
Stick with a simple email address that contains your name. Professionalism matters! Save Gandalf_99@yahoo.com for your friends and family, if you must.
5. Not Being Concise
Sorting through job applications is one of many tedious tasks recruiters have on their plate. Don’t make their day worse by sending in a cover letter that reads like your autobiography. While it’s important to sell your strengths in a cover letter, keeping it short and focused is just as important.
Recruiters are inundated with applications and faced with weeding out the good from the bad. So make their job easier and increase your chances by filling your resume with the right IT keywords. Recruiters will take any excuse to throw a resume into the trash bin if it takes them too long to decipher your jargon, so it’s imperative your application passes the skim test. Length isn’t important, keywords are. Look at your resume and ask yourself:
1) Can a hiring manager see my main credentials within 10 to 15 seconds?
2) Does the most critical information jump off the page?
3) Do I effectively sell myself on the top quarter of the first page?
Many employees are proud of their careers and want their resume to reflect everything they’ve accomplished as an IT professional. Unfortunately, that’s the quickest way to the recycle bin.
Be judicious. If your college days are far behind you, does it really matter that you pledged a fraternity or delivered pizza? Do you really need to mention that first IT internship? Cut the fat and highlight major accomplishments. Take the time to focus on career highlights – it’s these types of executive skills that employers look for anyway.
Think about it this way: If you were a recruiter looking at a resume for an IT professional, which of the following entries would impress you more?
• “Wrote news releases.”
• “Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines.”
Clearly the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer’s accomplishment, giving it context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task. Numbers are powerful resume tools that help your accomplishments draw the attention they deserve from prospective employers. With just a little thought, you can find effective ways to quantify your successes on your resume and make them sing.
6. Being Too Polished or Over-Prepared
Have you ever blanked out during a class speech, or failed a test you spent all night studying for? Over-preparation is to blame. The same principle applies to job searching as well.
Loosen up and relax. While practice makes perfect, sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to be a little off your game. Preparing too much makes you seem stiff and overly formal, or worse, causes you to blank out during the interview.
Plus, interviewers can tell if you’re too rehearsed or faking it, and that doesn’t help your cause. Don’t be afraid of having answers that aren’t textbook perfect. Be honest and highlight your achievements. The “right” interview answer isn’t necessarily what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Be yourself – a little spunk goes a long way.
7. Sloppy Speech
Do you, um, like, think that maybe, like, you could speak, um, like, professionally?
Speaking properly, when talking to a potential employer is just as important as having a typo-free cover letter. Being an IT professional doesn’t mean you’re exempt from working with a wide variety of people; communication skills are still important in the workplace.
During your career, you’ll be expected to talk to a variety of people in many departments, from salespersons to public relations officers, data crunchers to IT engineering peers. So leave out the “ums” and “likes,” talk at an understandable pace, and use strong, decisive words to get your point across.
During your IT interview, remember to speak to the level of your audience. Don’t pull out the technical jargon if you’re talking to someone from human resources; save your industry expertise for further along the hiring process. Simple stuff, but you’d be surprised how many people blow it here.
8. No Concrete Examples
There are a handful of standard IT interview questions you should be prepared for. Getting asked about your past job experiences is one of them. Don’t let this question stump you during a job interview!
For example, you might be asked, “Tell me about a time when you ran up against a difficult problem.” Talk about a time you recognized an obstacle, analyzed the situation, and overcame the challenge.
If you have to sit and think about a time you dealt with a difficult software program, or had an issue with an IT client, the interviewer might assume that you’re unprepared. If you’re still having trouble thinking about your working past, grab a friend and have them quiz you with questions you might get asked at the real thing.
However, be honest if you don’t have an example. Telling the truth is always better than making up a lie that your employer could learn about later.
9. Failing to Ask Questions in an Interview
Curiosity killed the cat, but it can help you ace your IT interview. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! After all, a job interview goes both ways. It’s not just you who’s in the hot seat, but the interviewer too!.
Failing to ask questions is a big mistake for job seekers; it shows lack of interest and unpreparedness. Don’t just ask about whatever pops into your head, either. Intelligent questions show you’ve done your research, and put thought into the interview.
Go for in-depth questions, like asking about the company culture, or successful traits of someone who previously held the position you are applying for. Not only are you proving that you’ve made an investment in them, you’ve shown that you’re worth making an investment in too.
10. References Don’t Check Out
Employers use references as a way to verify your value from a third party, which means solid IT references are your golden ticket out of unemployment. But if your references don’t check out, kiss that job goodbye.
When HR comes knocking for references, make sure you provide professional, qualified contacts you can count on. Hopefully you’ve taken the time to cultivate a positive relationship with them.
An excellent reference gives you credibility, while a negative, ambiguous, or careless reference will have your employer hitting the ‘escape’ button. Be honest with your references, and ask if they are willing to provide a good reference on your behalf. If not, thank them for their time and move on to someone else.
So what are qualities of a good reference? Someone who is eloquent, professional, and qualified to talk about the IT field. Most importantly, you must have spent significant time in a work environment with your reference, and you must have directly worked with, or for them.
If possible, have more than a few references on hand, in case someone backs out, is unavailable, or isn’t qualified to speak about the particular job you’re applying for. And always, always, thank your references for their time and let them know if you get the job or not. Don’t forget to keep that relationship alive even when you’re employed! You’ll never know when you’ll need to call on them again.
Take caution and be thoughtful with every job you apply for. Even though IT employees are in high demand, the competition is tough, which means the simplest mistake in your job search can lead to disaster. Make sure you’re not making these 10 common job hunting mistakes and get the IT job of your dreams!
1. Not Reading the Job Description
After applying for an endless number of open IT positions, the job descriptions tend to blur together. But that doesn’t mean you should stop reading them. A common mistake IT job seekers make in their job hunt is forgetting to read and follow the requirements stated in the job description. Whether applicants are overqualified, or under qualified, too often, recruiters find themselves faced with resumes and cover letters that are irrelevant to the posting.
In addition to meeting every requirement listed in the job description, it’s also important to follow the instructions on how to apply. Too often, job seekers send an email with an attached resume or cover letter, failing to take into consideration special application instructions, such as including a salary history, list of references, or some other requirement. Searching for an IT job is hard – but don’t let yourself miss out on an opportunity because you didn’t read the directions!
2. Duties VS. Accomplishments
One of the most common resume errors IT professionals make is giving a laundry list of job duties instead job accomplishments. Employers can usually identify what your duties were through the job title – they would rather know what you did that made a difference. Your resume should answer the question: How did you succeed at your last place of employment?
Say you were applying for a job as a computer programmer. Instead of saying, “Wrote software programs for Company X for seven years” on your resume, you could say, “Took initiative with software development projects at Company X by finding unique solutions to client problems in a timely manner.” Specifying accomplishments instead of duties makes your resume stand out in a crowd.
3. Not Customizing Your Cover Letter
Perhaps one of the most common job seeking mistakes IT professionals make is failing to customize the cover letter for each job. As tempting as it is to cut and paste your cover letter, substituting only the appropriate employer name and position title, don’t. Hiring managers can sniff out a cut-and-paste cover letter from a mile away. Besides, it’s in your interest to tailor cover letters, and highlight your past experiences that are directly related to the job. That’s what makes you stand out!
Using a cut-and-paste cover letter is risky for a lot of reasons, most importantly because it’s easy to make mistakes, like forgetting to switch names and titles. For example, if you’re applying for an IT position at a government agency, you might want to double check that you changed the “Department of Energy” for “Department of Defense.” After all, if you can’t be bothered to pay attention to details in looking for a job, what’s the guarantee that you’ll pay attention once you get the job?
4. Using an Unprofessional Email Address
Think your fun email address is memorable and personable? Think again.
Anarchy212@gmail.com or starwarzfan4life@aol.com doesn’t exactly give off the impression of a professional looking for a job in the IT securities field. A silly email address makes potential employers think you aren’t serious and that you may act similarly on the job.
Stick with a simple email address that contains your name. Professionalism matters! Save Gandalf_99@yahoo.com for your friends and family, if you must.
5. Not Being Concise
Sorting through job applications is one of many tedious tasks recruiters have on their plate. Don’t make their day worse by sending in a cover letter that reads like your autobiography. While it’s important to sell your strengths in a cover letter, keeping it short and focused is just as important.
Recruiters are inundated with applications and faced with weeding out the good from the bad. So make their job easier and increase your chances by filling your resume with the right IT keywords. Recruiters will take any excuse to throw a resume into the trash bin if it takes them too long to decipher your jargon, so it’s imperative your application passes the skim test. Length isn’t important, keywords are. Look at your resume and ask yourself:
1) Can a hiring manager see my main credentials within 10 to 15 seconds?
2) Does the most critical information jump off the page?
3) Do I effectively sell myself on the top quarter of the first page?
Many employees are proud of their careers and want their resume to reflect everything they’ve accomplished as an IT professional. Unfortunately, that’s the quickest way to the recycle bin.
Be judicious. If your college days are far behind you, does it really matter that you pledged a fraternity or delivered pizza? Do you really need to mention that first IT internship? Cut the fat and highlight major accomplishments. Take the time to focus on career highlights – it’s these types of executive skills that employers look for anyway.
Think about it this way: If you were a recruiter looking at a resume for an IT professional, which of the following entries would impress you more?
• “Wrote news releases.”
• “Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines.”
Clearly the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer’s accomplishment, giving it context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task. Numbers are powerful resume tools that help your accomplishments draw the attention they deserve from prospective employers. With just a little thought, you can find effective ways to quantify your successes on your resume and make them sing.
6. Being Too Polished or Over-Prepared
Have you ever blanked out during a class speech, or failed a test you spent all night studying for? Over-preparation is to blame. The same principle applies to job searching as well.
Loosen up and relax. While practice makes perfect, sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to be a little off your game. Preparing too much makes you seem stiff and overly formal, or worse, causes you to blank out during the interview.
Plus, interviewers can tell if you’re too rehearsed or faking it, and that doesn’t help your cause. Don’t be afraid of having answers that aren’t textbook perfect. Be honest and highlight your achievements. The “right” interview answer isn’t necessarily what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Be yourself – a little spunk goes a long way.
7. Sloppy Speech
Do you, um, like, think that maybe, like, you could speak, um, like, professionally?
Speaking properly, when talking to a potential employer is just as important as having a typo-free cover letter. Being an IT professional doesn’t mean you’re exempt from working with a wide variety of people; communication skills are still important in the workplace.
During your career, you’ll be expected to talk to a variety of people in many departments, from salespersons to public relations officers, data crunchers to IT engineering peers. So leave out the “ums” and “likes,” talk at an understandable pace, and use strong, decisive words to get your point across.
During your IT interview, remember to speak to the level of your audience. Don’t pull out the technical jargon if you’re talking to someone from human resources; save your industry expertise for further along the hiring process. Simple stuff, but you’d be surprised how many people blow it here.
8. No Concrete Examples
There are a handful of standard IT interview questions you should be prepared for. Getting asked about your past job experiences is one of them. Don’t let this question stump you during a job interview!
For example, you might be asked, “Tell me about a time when you ran up against a difficult problem.” Talk about a time you recognized an obstacle, analyzed the situation, and overcame the challenge.
If you have to sit and think about a time you dealt with a difficult software program, or had an issue with an IT client, the interviewer might assume that you’re unprepared. If you’re still having trouble thinking about your working past, grab a friend and have them quiz you with questions you might get asked at the real thing.
However, be honest if you don’t have an example. Telling the truth is always better than making up a lie that your employer could learn about later.
9. Failing to Ask Questions in an Interview
Curiosity killed the cat, but it can help you ace your IT interview. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! After all, a job interview goes both ways. It’s not just you who’s in the hot seat, but the interviewer too!.
Failing to ask questions is a big mistake for job seekers; it shows lack of interest and unpreparedness. Don’t just ask about whatever pops into your head, either. Intelligent questions show you’ve done your research, and put thought into the interview.
Go for in-depth questions, like asking about the company culture, or successful traits of someone who previously held the position you are applying for. Not only are you proving that you’ve made an investment in them, you’ve shown that you’re worth making an investment in too.
10. References Don’t Check Out
Employers use references as a way to verify your value from a third party, which means solid IT references are your golden ticket out of unemployment. But if your references don’t check out, kiss that job goodbye.
When HR comes knocking for references, make sure you provide professional, qualified contacts you can count on. Hopefully you’ve taken the time to cultivate a positive relationship with them.
An excellent reference gives you credibility, while a negative, ambiguous, or careless reference will have your employer hitting the ‘escape’ button. Be honest with your references, and ask if they are willing to provide a good reference on your behalf. If not, thank them for their time and move on to someone else.
So what are qualities of a good reference? Someone who is eloquent, professional, and qualified to talk about the IT field. Most importantly, you must have spent significant time in a work environment with your reference, and you must have directly worked with, or for them.
If possible, have more than a few references on hand, in case someone backs out, is unavailable, or isn’t qualified to speak about the particular job you’re applying for. And always, always, thank your references for their time and let them know if you get the job or not. Don’t forget to keep that relationship alive even when you’re employed! You’ll never know when you’ll need to call on them again.
