Recently, one of our young professional clients asked, “What are the top 6 mistakes we make when pursing a job and interviewing?” What a great topic. To get the most current information, I put it out to my CEO, Education, and Human Resources colleagues. I was amazed at how quickly they responded to my request. They literally dropped what they were doing to react to my question! Within 90 minutes, I had 8 pages of input. I was able to boil this down to 32 top mistakes. As I reflect on asking for 6 and getting 32, clearly this was both an important and frustrating topic for them.

I must admit, when I first read their list, I was fascinated by the simplicity of the feedback. The errors and irritation they pointed out appeared to be too basic for an article. I was looking for high-level nuances that separate the good from the great. Rather, I found that candidates make the same blunders of decades past and continue to be eliminated from consideration.

My message to young professionals is to pay attention to these fundamentals. If you find them “a firm grasp of the obvious” and you have them addressed, I assure you that you are in the top tier of applicants. For those of you who dismiss these issues as not important, think again. My list came from top leaders who see these mistakes at all levels. Details matter. I urge you to look honestly at your process for job searches and pay attention to coaching.

As you enjoy the simplicity of the issues, I leave you with one thought: It’s really not hard to be better than average!

1. Engaging in a job search alone without using their personal network

Most young people do not appreciate the value of a network or realize that they actually have a good start on one. Go back to professors, parents, friends of parents, coaches, and teachers. Start by reaching out to the successful among them for advice and potential opportunities that they may know about. Many will offer to be a reference, even if you did not have a strong prior relationship. Your outreach will tell them something about your ambition.

2. Sloppy resume/fancy graphics/no LinkedIn page

Typically, there is too much information on the resume without connecting the dots between experiences and the opportunity. How will your experiences and education benefit you for the role at hand? More is not better. Your resume must be an “easy read”.

3. Generic cover letter

Something in your cover letter needs to grab the reader. If you did not research the company and find some connection between you and their product, mission, vision, or history, there is a good possibility they will never review your resume.

4. Typos and grammar errors

Check, double-check, then triple check all documents and correspondence for spelling and grammar errors. Eliminate all slang and acronyms, abbreviations, or emojis. Have someone else read it. Then, read it out loud. The very best way to find errors in your written work is to read it out loud. Do not just read it. Read it out loud. You will be amazed at the errors you find.

5. Embarrassing social media

Hiring managers check and make a judgment about the kind of person you are based on what they see. Edit your social media frequently. Be proud of your digital life.

6. Having a very narrow job or company preference

Your first job is a career start and does not need to be the perfect role. You need to take a job to start your professional experience and build your resume.

7. Not doing company research

Do your homework prior to an interview. Impressive candidates speak about the company, revealing their knowledge of current company or industry issues.

8. Applying online only and waiting to hear back

Follow up with someone associated with the organization. Ensure that your application is received and noticed.

9. Not having a personal brand

Know your strengths, your values, your passions, and what you can contribute. The clearer you are about who you are and what you can do, the better you are positioned to find the right company and the right role. You will leave a net impression of being authentic.

10. No life story to share

A personal connection is important. Be prepared to answer questions like: What was the last book you read? Favorite movie and why? Best place you have ever visited and why? Most interesting hobby? Perhaps write them down in a journal so you are familiar with your favorites. Be prepared to explain who you are. Employers hire humans. The interviewer needs to get to know you in a short amount of time. Make it easy for them.

11. No practice interviewing

Practice how you talk about your background, how you will talk about the company, and the questions you have prepared. Conduct mock interviews with your friends.

12. No research on the interviewers

Try to get some background on who is interviewing you. How did their background get them to the company? Prepare some questions based on their backgrounds and why they find the company rewarding.

13. Not having prepared questions in advance

Have real questions ready for the end of the interview that demonstrates that you have gone this extra mile to understand the company. In my life, I have often perceived people to be very smart not by what they say, but rather by the questions they ask.

14. Not prepared to discuss their views on the broader community

In today’s world of ESG (Environment/Social/Governance), employers are looking for their teams to have a passion for the community. Be prepared to explain why it is important to you and give some examples of community involvement.

15. Having an unrealistic salary expectation

You will be paid commensurate with your experience and what the market will bear.

16. Showing up late or incredibly early for a meeting or video call

10-15 minutes early is appropriate.

17. Poor video connection and voice quality

Ensure that your video and audio are of high quality. Plug in your device. If you must run on battery, make sure it is fully charged.

18. Dressing too casually for interview

Dress appropriately. That does not necessarily mean a suit. But no jeans and a T-shirt. Many environments are business casual, but for an interview, you need to dress a step or two higher.

19. Poor physical appearance

Comb your hair, wear neat clothes, trim nails, shine shoes, and stand-up to greet your interviewer if in person. If on video, have an energetic greeting. Above all things, show energy and enthusiasm throughout the meeting.

20. Maintaining eye contact during the interview

Work on eye contact and meaningful gesturing during the interview.

21. Cell phone ringing or vibrating during the interview

Turn off all your electronic devices.

22. Presenting a fake image or trying to be a person you are not

Be genuine. If you try to present a false image, no one will be fooled. You will lose credibility.

23. Lacking confidence during the interview

There is no substitute for preparation. Preparation brings confidence. As mentioned above, practice interviewing.

24. Assuming the interviewer wants to review your resume in detail

Your resume and cover letter got you to the interview. Now it is up to you to tell your story and create a relationship. Be prepared to give your elevator speech about who you are and why you can contribute to their company.

25. Asking about salary, benefits, and vacation first thing in an interview

Avoid questions that tend to be based on “what’s in it for me”, as opposed to learning about the real job/culture/situation. Questions about benefits can be asked once you have the offer.

26. Overusing ‘I’

In this world where teamwork is essential, talking about how you and your teammates successfully addressed challenges is impressive.

27. Focusing only on personal success

Be willing and prepared to describe your biggest mistakes and what you learned from them.

28. Name dropping

Do not reference a current author or leader in the field unless you are able to speak in detail about what the researcher or author believes. If you cannot, credibility will be lost immediately.

29. Providing short answers to questions, geared toward what the interviewer wants to hear

Be sincere with your answers and tell the truth. This shows integrity. Think of a time when you were faced with what they are asking. Be a good storyteller about how you addressed it. It makes the interviewer’s job easier.

30. Using slang, or the overuse of  verbal crutches “like” or “ums”

Ask your friends and family if you have the tendency to use slang or repeat phrases too often. These are habits that can be eliminated once you are aware. An interview dialogue should be more formal.

31. Not asking for the job

Make sure you are clear that you want the job. It is very powerful to end the interview with a brief closing statement summarizing how you would contribute to the team and that you would welcome the opportunity.

32. Not sending a personalized “thank you” note

The personal touch goes a long way in our digital world. An e-mail thank you is fine, but a hand-written note is better. It shows extra initiative, acknowledges their time spent, and it sets you apart from other applicants.

I hope you found these recommendations useful. If you are currently employed and have a desire to move up or expand your responsibility, please take note. Successful employees are aware of their executive presence. They think about how they look, what they do, and what they say. Take the time to do an inventory of the list above. These behaviors will separate you from other candidates when interviewing. They will also improve your executive presence in your current job and help you to stand out for future opportunities.

If you know someone who is struggling with the interview and job-landing process, Wynstone Partners offers a "jump start" course aimed at catapulting recent graduates and young professionals ahead of their peers. All the information on the course is located on our Coaching for Young Professionals page.

It’s really not hard to be better than average!