8 Awkward Job Seeker Errors You Should Avoid

BridgewaterUKFeb 17, 2017Career Advice, Job Search and Interviews0

We hear from hundreds of job seekers every week and it’s great to hear from those who have put a lot of effort into their job search and applications. However, some job seekers stand out for the wrong reasons…

Here are some genuine job seeker errors that we have come across and recommend you steer clear of!

1. Uploading your CV to a job site and listing your desired job title as ‘Destroyer of Worlds’

Awkward job seeker error

If you’re looking for a new opportunity, uploading your CV to job sites like CV-Library is a great way to get noticed by recruiters and employers.

We hope that this guy found the right employer for him…

2. Attaching a dauphinoise potato recipe instead of your CV

Dauphinoise potato recipe

When applying for a job it’s always helpful to actually send your CV… Before submitting your application do double check that you have attached the correct document!

Many job seekers do have different versions of their CV when they are applying for a few different roles. If you do have a number of versions, again double check that you send the right one. If you’re applying for a sales job, it’s a bit awkward when your opening line is I’m keen to pursue a career in digital marketing.

3. Using your [email protected] email address

We’ve seen plenty of interesting email addresses in our time. Be sure to use a professional email address when looking for jobs and we don’t recommend using your work one.

4. Listing ironing, cleaning and cooking as skills on your CV

While these are perfectly great skills to have, they aren’t too relevant to the administration role you’ve applied for.

The lesson here is to always tailor your CV to include the key skills that are required for the role you are applying for. Completely irrelevant skills and experience should be left off your CV.

5. Saying ‘My wife keeps me busy’ in your hobbies and interests

We’re big advocates for including a hobbies and interests section on your CV! This is a great way to get across your personality and to show off attributes like a competitive nature and being a team player.

However, make sure that what you write here adds to your application.

6. Misspelling the word ‘proofreading’

Any spelling and grammatical errors on your CV don’t look good, but this one really takes the biscuit!

We regularly see errors in the CVs of job seekers claiming to have great attention to detail, too.

7. Explaining a gap in employment as ‘grieving the death of their cat’

If you do have significant gaps in your CV, we do recommend letting the employer know why. However, certain reasons like the one above may not show you in the best light…

8. Bringing interview documents but leaving them in your car

Always do your best to bring any documents that the company asks for to your interview. When the interviewer asks if you’ve brought them though, “Yes! They’re in my car”, isn’t the most helpful answer.

Bringing it all together

Your CV, covering letter and how you conduct yourself at interview will determine your future career. Take care to put in real time and effort at each stage and you’ll be receiving job offers in no time.

Good luck!