When it comes to searching, applying, and interviewing for a new job, most tech professionals have a pretty clear understanding of the things they definitely should do: submit up-to-date and clear resumes; search multiple sources for opportunities; dress appropriately – just to name a few. What’s often less clear – but is no less important – is what they should not do.
Here are the top four mistakes to avoid when searching for a new tech job:
Submit an application, resume or cover letter with grammatical errors
This one is probably fairly obvious, but you would be surprised by how often it happens. Make no mistake: First impressions matter a great deal when it comes to finding a new job. These documents are the first point of contact you’ll have with a potential employer and should be checked, double-checked, and triple-checked to ensure they’re free of any typos.
Abuse your connections
When looking for a new job, it’s natural to want to bypass the exhaustive hiring process by looking for favors from connections you have within the industry. This is not a good look for anyone. When you’re seeking new opportunities, it’s totally appropriate to reach out to your connections to ask questions about potential opportunities; however, you should not expect them to go out of their way and pull strings for you.
Be terse in your descriptions of previous roles
Going back to the importance of being thorough with your resumes for a moment: It’s vital you go into some depth when you’re outlining the responsibilities you had and the skills you gleaned from previous roles. Employers use your previous job descriptions to gauge how qualified you are for the role you’ve applied to, so you should be as clear as possible about how your past has prepared you for your next position.
Don’t be overconfident
Don’t get us wrong – confidence is a great quality to have when applying and interviewing. It demonstrates that you’re leadership material and capable. But it’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Watch out for language in your cover letter, resume, email communications or interviews that suggest it’s somehow inevitable you’ll be handed this job. When in doubt, it always pays to be humble about your accomplishments, credentials and ability.
If you’re ready to get started in your search for an exciting new role in IT, check out our jobs page.
