5 Bad Habits to Avoid in Your Job Search | FlexJobs

Have you been unsuccessful in your job search up to this point? Especially if it’s been a lengthy job hunt or one that you weren’t anticipating, you might be greeting your daily tasks with dread rather than enthusiasm. If so, it might be time to take a step back and analyze if you’re unintentionally sabotaging yourself.

While it’s natural to get burned out when you’re not meeting with success, slipping into unproductive job searching habits might actually be why you’re not getting any offers.

Job Seeker Bad Habits to Eliminate

It’s easy to get caught up in a negative spiral when you’ve been looking for a job for a while. Before you know it, your frustration can lend itself to some of the following behaviors that almost guarantee your job search will take even longer.

— Lack of Time Management

It’s unlikely that you’ll ever hear an interviewer exclaim, “I’m so glad you were 20 minutes late for our interview!” Instead, being tardy for an interview is often a huge red flag to recruiters. It can make you appear flaky, unreliable, and disinterested. You might have to reschedule or miss out on your interview opportunity altogether.

So, when it comes to time management skills, make sure yours are super sharp, even if it means leaving your house a good half hour earlier than you need to. A best practice is to arrive at least 10 minutes early to make a good impression.

— Lack of Research

When you go into an interview unprepared, it’s obvious. Your potential employer will wonder why you even bothered to interview if you weren’t interested enough in the company to do a little research ahead of time. At the very least, take some time to read over the company website and familiarize yourself with its mission statement and values.

Knowing the company culture can also help you ask more informed questions and give better answers during your interview. And of course, don’t forget to brush up on your knowledge about the position you’re interviewing for. The interviewer will likely ask you questions about your experience and qualifications, so it helps to be prepared with specific examples from your work history that translate to the particular role.

— Lack of Focused Effort

You’re going through the motions of applying and submitting resumes, but are you genuinely investing yourself and giving your best effort? Whether you think your accomplishments speak for themselves (or you’re a bit burned out from job searching for so long), submitting a ho-hum job application won’t catch a recruiter’s attention. After all, the company wants to feel your enthusiasm coming across in your job application.

Writing a generic “To whom it may concern” on your cover letter, not explaining how your work experience makes you a solid match for the job, or not expressing your interest in working for (and growing with) the company can all count against you.

— Lack of Attention to Detail

Don’t forget deadlines given by recruiters or the names of key people during job interviews. There are many things to remember and keep track of during your job search, so come up with a system to prevent forgetting key details.

For instance, you may want to write everything down as soon as you leave the building and set calendar reminders for follow-ups. Figure out what works best for you, but ensure that you stand out from the crowd by paying attention to small details.

— Lack of Positive Energy

Even if you’ve had a previous boss or work environment that was hideous, it’s best to avoid saying something negative about them. If you’re applying for a position within the same industry as your previous job, there’s a fairly decent chance that your prospective boss may know them—and your negative remarks could cut your job interview short.

It’s an unfair reality that sharing negative experiences can make you seem difficult to work with, even if you weren’t at fault. If you’re asked why you left your former role (and it was primarily because of your boss), cite another reason. You can respond that you outgrew your position or wanted to take on a new challenge.

— Lack of Enthusiasm for Your Potential

It’s easy to get down on yourself, especially if you compare yourself to other job seekers who seem to be having more success than you are. But the fact is, if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will either. When you’re putting together your resume and cover letter, or even just preparing for an interview, make sure to highlight your best qualities and accomplishments. Perhaps you’ve been disappointed and don’t want to get your hopes up, but that can make you appear apathetic or uninterested in the role.

Instead, get excited about what a great job fit it is every single time. You want to make a positive impression on your interviewer, which means being professional and enthusiastic. Ensure that you let your personality shine through in the job interview so that recruiters and managers can get a feel for how you’ll fit in with the team.

Make Your Best First Impression

It’s easy to unintentionally slip into bad habits when you’re in a job search. After a while, you’re no longer putting your best foot forward and start running behind in interviews, forgetting to follow up, or displaying a simple lack of faith in yourself. Instead, ensure that you continuously treat each opportunity as the best one yet. You’ll be more likely to get called back for interviews and eventually land the job if you exhibit confidence and enthusiasm throughout the process. Keep your head up, stay positive, and don’t give up!