Improve your chances with these handy tips.
By Libby Melhus
http://autocarecareerhub.com
AutoCare Career Hub knows how difficult and stressful job searches can be.
Sometimes, it feels like you’re just unable to burst through and make the best impression in the middle of a stressful job search, especially when you have so many other things on the front of your mind. Don’t let these things affect you, though!
Take our advice and eliminate little mistakes that have a huge impact on finding your next auto technician job. Everything from ineligible resumes to chatty interviews can ruin your chances at a job. Improve your chances with these handy tips.
1. Mediocre References Aren’t Good References: Surely everyone knows to stay away from bad references, but what about the ones that are not good, but not bad? Those types of references can look even worse to a recruiter. Don’t ask for a reference if you know that they won’t go the extra mile for you.
2. Negative Talk About Former Employers: Although the phrase, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all,” still holds true, sometimes it speaks volumes to say something positive about a bad former situation. Yes, you were laid off, but what was the positive that came out of that situation? No job recruiter wants to focus on the negatives. Neither should you.
3. A Bad Resume: A lot of people think that the more stuff they cram on their resume, the better it will be. That’s not going to help, especially if the job recruiter can’t read it. Never use a hard to read or small font and always check your spelling and grammar.
4. Saying Too Much In An Interview: The interview is a conversation between two parties, not a speech given by you. Keep your talking to concise points, be inquisitive, listen to what the recruiter says and end your responses with a good question to further the conversation.
5. Being Too Hard On Yourself: Once again, negativity can seriously damper the job process. Put a positive spin on everything, and if you really don’t think that you’re good enough for the job, tell the recruiter that you no longer want to be considered. You can be assured that if you’re hard on yourself, the recruiter will be too.
6. Focusing On How Long and Difficult Your Job Search Has Been: Even if you’ve been on the hunt for years, you can still find a way to talk positively about the experience. Focus on the great contacts you’ve made during that time, the training and knowledge you’ve been able to fine-tune, and the trends that you were able to keep up with.
7. Being Too Honest: It’s always tricky to answer the “tell me about your greatest weakness” question. Focus on how you corrected the weakness and overcame a challenge instead of divulging too much about what’s wrong with you.
8. Don’t Force Things: The job process takes a long time. Things can drag on for a while, especially when there are many people involved with the hire. Don’t pester a company until they become annoyed with you. Instead, close each meeting with a hiring manager by asking what you should expect next in terms of the hiring timeline.
9. Don’t Talk Salary Too Soon: There’s a time to talk salary, and a time to prove that you’re worth the salary. If you focus early on in the interview process on your accomplishments and worth to the company instead of what you want to make, it’ll be easier later on to have a discussion about how much you expect to make.
10. Applying to Jobs Blindly: You need to focus on job openings that you have connections to, not jobs posted in a classified or general job site. Use niche websites, like AutoCareCareerHub, that already have a strong network for you to tap into. Then, use your already existing network to find more job leads.
