Don't be part of the crowd

Mistakes that annoy employers most

June 21, 2000
Web posted at: 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT)

By Robin Ryan

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(womenconnect.com) -- Based on my national survey of 600 hiring managers, these are typical mistakes you need to avoid.

1. Forget form letters.

Job hunters overlook the importance of targeting each and every letter to address that employer's specific needs and requirements. That's why so many get overlooked. Once you offer solid facts, skills and abilities as evidence of how well you can do that particular job, your success with potential employers may improve dramatically.

2. Misspelled words and typos are no-no's.

Many employers in our survey responded that nothing stops them faster in their tracks than spelling errors. "I stop reading when I see spelling mistakes" many said. Use a dictionary, proofread, and then proofread again -- so your letters will be perfect.

3. Do not ignore the stated criteria.

"Applicants who don't address the qualifications or other information requested in the advertisement make a huge mistake" says Kelly Bachman, finance manager for a large agricultural company. Employers want you to take the time to address each specific qualification and state the experience and skills you bring to perform that task or function. The bottom line is you must show how you're qualified. If you truly are not qualified, save your time and effort and don't apply for that job.

4. Just wanting to be in management is not enough.

"I've seen endless numbers who say they want to be in 'management,' yet they show no evidence that they've earned that right," says Jim, a top executive at a Fortune 500 company.

"We must see, by both experience and more importantly behavior, that they've shown leadership and contributed to the success of the team. How you get along with others is a critical element most never address."

Reassess your background. Look at volunteer work, company committees and projects you've been involved with to offer evidence to pique these employers' interest. Demonstrating team leadership, innovation, coaching fellow employees and a commitment to empowering others are essentials to point out in your letter as you seek a higher level of responsibility.

5. Don't expect the employer to find a need for you to fill.

Many job hunters make this mistake. It's almost the norm for career changers and new college graduates. They simply generalize all their experience in hopes that the employer will take the time to decipher the skills and figure out where the person could fit in.

That's your responsibility. It's virtually impossible to tell an employer specifically how you'll do a job well when you have no particular job in mind. My best advice is to take some time and do some career exploration. Identify two or three jobs you feel you could excel in. Pursue those. If not, you may be continuously frustrated by your lack of response from, and success with, employers.

6. Gimmicks rarely work.

"People will do anything for attention. Most of it never works," says one news director at a prominent television station.

"Everyday someone tries a new trick -- flowers, candy, even a box of cookies wrapped in their resume. I might have eaten the cookies, but it didn't get them the job."

We had numerous comments from our hiring managers -- gimmicks, designer papers, oversized envelopes, FedEx ... none of it improves your chances of getting an interview. These things often prove to be a negative.

"The clever gimmicks are usually to hide a lack of true substance," a senior vice president wrote.

Nothing will replace a simple letter with solid facts focused on how you can excel at performing the job. It's the "meat" of proven experience, skills and accomplishments that truly get attention and keeps the employer's interest long enough to call you in for an interview.

Robin Ryan is a Seattle career counselor, national speaker and author of "60 Seconds and You're Hired," "Winning Resumes," "Winning Cover Letters" and "24 Hours To Your Next Job, Raise or Promotion." She has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "NBC Nightly News." Her columns are read in magazines and newspapers and online.

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