{"id":85491,"date":"2014-12-08T07:12:35","date_gmt":"2014-12-08T13:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=85491"},"modified":"2015-01-26T22:14:12","modified_gmt":"2015-01-27T04:14:12","slug":"how-to-avoid-hrs-wall-of-shame-job-application-mistakes-to-avoid-at-all-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=85491","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid HR\u2019s Wall of Shame. Job Application Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs (advice from non-library HR pros)"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Josh Rimmer, Senior Editor, INALJ Missouri<\/a>, Maine<\/a>, Michigan<\/a>, Minnesota<\/a>, Mississippi<\/a>, Kentucky<\/a>, Louisiana<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

How to Avoid HR\u2019s Wall of Shame. Job Application Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs \u00a0(advice from non-library HR pros)
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\"JoshRimmer_INALJWV\"<\/a>Definitively not a prestigious accomplishment to include on your resume, but mistakes do happen. Did you\u00a0come across an ideal job opportunity and rushed to submit your application? Overtired and missed\u00a0an embarrassing typo? Wrong address or the wrong name of the employer? These silly mistakes,\u00a0unfortunately, will reflect poorly on your application, and you will be flagged for both carelessness and a\u00a0lack of attention to detail. No doubt about it!<\/p>\n

Okay, so this may be completely obvious to you and every hiring manager on the face of this earth.\u00a0As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, mistakes do happen. However, being chronically careless\u00a0cannot be an acceptable excuse! It would also be wise to know what the general pet peeves are for HR\u00a0and hiring managers. So what are the common mistakes to look out for? I\u2019ll list some of the common\u00a0mistakes made by job applicants as noted by potential employers\/HR managers, as well as their\u00a0feedback.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s that smell? BS! Not meeting minimum requirements.<\/strong> Guess what, minimum requirements\u00a0are there for a reason. If the listing asks for 2 or 3 years of experience and you simply do not have it\u00a0(professional, internship, or volunteer). Or a specified skill set that is essential for the position. Don\u2019t\u00a0bother putting in! Sorry to be a downer, but potential employers can see your inexperience and that you\u00a0lack the requirements of the position. It is a waste of their time and your time. Yea, it may be a position\u00a0you really want, or maybe via your cover letter you can \u201ctalk\u201d, and entice your potential employer\u00a0into an interview. However, you will be exposed later on. Use these types of job postings as teachable\u00a0moments. How can I attain the skills or a particular skill set in the immediate future? Is it a skill I can\u00a0teach myself and practice, or do I need practical experience?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be an egit! Proofread!<\/strong> I am entirely self-conscious about my writing, I\u2019ll admit it. I worry and\u00a0fret over little mistakes. Am I using the word in the right context? Should I hit the semicolon button, as\u00a0sweat pours down my face. Does my cover letter have a good flow? I am far from perfect, and certainly\u00a0no English major. HR managers are probably not as well; however, if something comes across as wrong\u00a0and reads terribly then it will make a difference in their opinion of you as a viable candidate. I highly doubt your application will be passed on. I\u2019ve mentioned this before in other\u00a0articles, but have a proofreading buddy! The ideal proofreading candidate would be someone not\u00a0affiliated with libraries or information science. You need someone who can call you out if you are using\u00a0too much jargon, or not speaking to the requirements of the position. More importantly, someone who\u00a0can spot auto-correct mistakes. In this job market, you cannot afford to be careless. Take, or make the\u00a0time to ensure your application is as close to flawless as possible. Read over your cover letter, resume and\u00a0job application 2-3 times.<\/p>\n

Tailor your cover letter to the job.<\/strong> Unless you\u2019re a masochist, many of us have a cover letter template\u00a0we use and edit, as we apply for different jobs. Yes, maybe certain job elements are redundant for\u00a0reference or technical service job listings, but take the time to write your cover letter to the job! Maybe\u00a0you\u2019re enrolling in a course through ALCTS on Electronic Resources Acquisitions. Use this as an example of being active in the profession. Do not take your cover letter outline for granted! So a particular cover\u00a0letter template received multiple hits from different employers. Do not bank on prior results to stay\u00a0fruitful! Always use examples, be concise but be terse. Maybe even use the Library\u2019s name in your cover\u00a0letter. Show some effort, your hiring manager(s) will take notice!<\/p>\n

Length.<\/strong> A topic I debate with people, as I think it is okay to go over a page on a cover letter. Now\u00a0by over, I mean not quite a page and a half. A two-page cover letter, maybe you\u2019re doing too much\u00a0rehashing of your resume. You will find arguments supporting either side of the cover letter argument.\u00a0To borrow a term from secondary school, employers suggest using your best judgment. If, at any point,\u00a0it reads like your resume then you have missed the mark, would be my suggestion.<\/p>\n

Professionalism.<\/strong> Know your audience. Now is not the time to be a comedian, swear in a cover letter,\u00a0or tell your employer to contact you at Spanktastic@hotmail.com. Now is the time to establish a\u00a0professional email account, if you have not done so! I think this advice on professionalism would be\u00a0common sense for all, however take a look at some of the horrible cover letters on Google Images. Be\u00a0respectful, timely \u2013first consideration by, implicitly implies due date \u2013 and be polite at all times. Clarify\u00a0at the end of your cover letter if they have problems downloading a document, or if they need to ask\u00a0you an additional question, how they can best reach you. Let them know you are available and willing to\u00a0engage in a conversation about the position!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Josh Rimmer, Senior Editor, INALJ Missouri, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana How to Avoid HR\u2019s Wall of Shame. Job Application Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs \u00a0(advice from non-library HR pros) Definitively not a prestigious accomplishment to include on your resume, but mistakes do happen. Did you\u00a0come across an ideal job opportunity and…<\/p>\n

Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":74696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[146,69,3592,77,3596,3594,3605,3638,3643,3661,3640,4514,6125,6503,5961,5879,111],"class_list":["post-85491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-advice","tag-article","tag-blog","tag-cover-letter","tag-inalj-kentucky","tag-inalj-louisiana","tag-inalj-maine","tag-inalj-michigan","tag-inalj-minnesota","tag-inalj-mississippi","tag-inalj-missouri","tag-interview-tips","tag-job-hunting-advice","tag-job-search-advice","tag-job-search-tips","tag-josh-rimmer","tag-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/joshrimmer.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-meT","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/74696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}