When you’re job hunting, you realize there are many factors beyond your control that affect your chances of getting hired. The economy, your location, industry trends — even the hiring manager’s mood — can influence whether or not you get a job.
Still, as nice as it would be to blame your lack of offers on external factors, you can’t forget that you are the common denominator in your job hunt, from the résumé to the interview and beyond. CNN Living has 25 ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your own job search.
Here is a small sample of what you should be doing:
- Keep a running list of your accomplishments, so when it becomes job-hunting time, you can show/discuss your past achievements.
- Personalize your cover letter. The reality is, some employers don’t even read your cover letter – so if you don’t want to write one, that’s your choice. But if you do, make sure it’s not a generic letter [they will notice]; instead, customize it to the organization and specific job you want.
- Research the company and the position prior to interviewing about it. They will be impressed with your knowledge, but not if you clearly didn’t take the time to look them up.
- Learn from your mistakes. Some interviews go poorly, so instead of crying about it, think about what went wrong and figure out how you can adapt it so the next one goes better.