Landing your dream job starts with getting your CV to the hiring manager.

If it never gets there, or if it’s never read, you have no chance. That’s why the single most important thing you can do when you’re looking for a new job is to make sure your CV makes it to your prospective boss’s desk – and more importantly, into the “to be read” pile of applications.

Beat the other candidates to the top of the pile by avoiding these 4 common job hunting mistakes

Mistake #1: First impressions count
Sending your CV via a dodgy email address can stand in your way of landing an interview. After all, who’s going to take an email address like floozy69@polka.net or tazzy101@gmail.com seriously?

Thanks to the increase of free email address sites on the web, you can set up a professional sounding email address in next to no time. Choosing something safe – like JohnBrown1@gmail.com – will give the right impression and could double the responses without you changing a single line of your CV.

Mistake #2: Leaving out the job objective
One of the most important things you need to include on your CV is to show the prospective employer what direction you’re moving in and what career goals you want to achieve. To do this, provide a job objective – a brief introduction to your resume that establishes your employment goals.

In it, identify the types of jobs you have the right skills and qualifications for. Including your objective not only helps you understand your own goals, but also gives potential employers an idea of where you’re going and how you want to arrive there.

Don’t forget to adjust your job objective every time you send out your CV to align your objectives with the position on offer.

Mistake #3: Selling yourself short
Many job seekers forget that their CV isn’t just about past jobs! It’s about THEM! So make sure your CV highlights your accomplishments at your previous jobs and showcases what you’re capable of, how you achieved your capability, how you apply your skills and, most importantly, how the skills you have will benefit your new employer.

The easiest (and fastest) way to improve your CV is to remove everything that starts with “responsibilities included” and replace it with “on-the-job accomplishments”.

Remember, prospective employers aren’t interested in the activities you performed on a daily basis – they’re interested in how well you performed those activities. Never forget that it’s your CVs job to market you!

Mistake #4: Trying to stand out too much
Unless you’re applying for a job in a creative industry – like advertising – a professional CV layout is critical to your job hunting success.

Keep it simple and easy to read, use black ink and a standard font such as Arial, Geneva or Times New Roman. Don’t forget to include bullet points (so that your information is easy to glance through) and make it no longer than two pages.

Remember, it takes approximately 30 seconds to glance through a CV. If your information is organised in long paragraphs that are difficult to read quickly, it most likely won’t be read at all

In the name of happiness,

Your Insider
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Win friends and influence people

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Quick job hunting tips and techniques...

Interview going badly? Turn it around – fast

If a job interview is going badly, stop the interview and say: “Look, I just didn’t get started right. I don’t think this is indicative of my background. Could we start again? I have a lot of good information I want to pass on to you. And I am extremely interested in your company.” Interviewers will be impressed by your desire to fix the problem so assertively.

Are you prepared for this killer interview question?

“What are your weaknesses?” may sound an easy question to answer. But it leaves ill-prepared and less confident interviewees speechless. To shine, write down what your weak points are right now. Edit them to make sure you don’t sound lazy or stupid. But don’t fall for the myth that you should present them as a strength.
You'll look smarmy and dishonest. Instead, state your weaknesses, and say what you’re doing (or have done) to improve them.

Do you have a copy of your CV by the telephone?

More and more employers are carrying out initial telephone interviews. If you can’t remember who you’re talking to and what company they’re from, you won’t get the job. Questions at this stage will be informal. But keep a copy of your CV and a list of the firms you have applied to next to the phone at all times.