5 Biggest Job Application Mistakes

Cover Letter 5 Biggest Job Application Mistakes Heather Huhman Jenna Arcand February 10, 2022 {"adCodes": [{"desktop": "", "display": true, "mobile": "", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664203608/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 0, "tablet": ""}, {"desktop": "", "display": true, "mobile": "", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664203608/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 1, "tablet": ""}, {"display": true, "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664203608/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 2}], "adsOrder": [2]}

We all make mistakes—that’s what makes us human. But when you’re looking for a new job, it’s important to minimize those job application mistakes because they may cost you the position.

Here are some of the biggest application mistakes candidates make (and how to avoid them):

1. Spelling/Grammatical Errors

These types of errors, although they seem small in nature, can be a major red flag to employers. It shows you lack attention to detail, and many hiring managers or recruiters will think you rushed through your application.

How to avoid this mistake: Take your time filling out job applications and have someone else look them over if possible. This includes having someone proofread your resume and cover letter. You can also read your resume, cover letter, and other job application materials aloud to catch anything you may miss while scanning through on the computer.

2. Not Following Directions

This is something everyone learns in grade school, but it’s amazing how many people STILL don’t read directions! Every application you fill out will be slightly different or require a different response—so it’s important to read through each step.

How to avoid this mistake: Pay attention and slow down during the job application process. If you’re feeling rushed, it’s probably because you’re applying to too many openings that you may not be qualified for (or genuinely interested in), so you may want to rethink your job search strategy.

3. Submitting A Resume You Haven’t Tailored To The Position

This is a big no-no. It shows you don’t really understand what the employer is looking for and are just hoping your resume fits some of the criteria. Not tailoring your resume also makes it harder for it to get past the ATS.

How to avoid this mistake: Carefully read through the job description, qualifications, and education requirements. On your resume, show the employer how you're qualified through your previous experience, skills, and expertise. Quantify your work experience and accomplishments, and make sure your resume is optimized with keywords so it can actually get past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager.

4. Writing A Generic Cover Letter

Your cover letter should tell a compelling story and make the hiring manager interested in moving on to your resume. It should also address the hiring manager by name and describe exactly why you are the best candidate for the position. Not doing these things will communicate to the hiring manager that you're not that interested in the position you're applying for. You won't stand out from the other candidates and will be less likely to land a job interview, even if your resume is tailored to the position.

How to avoid this mistake: Write a disruptive cover letter for each position you’re applying for. Although there may be similarities between positions, always customize your cover letter for each job opening. Focus on your connection story. Why do you want to work for this specific employer? What part(s) of this company are you passionate about? Why do you feel connected to their products or mission? Your disruptive cover letter should answer these questions.

5. Not Going Beyond The Job Description

It’s imperative that you research the company you’re applying to. You need to know what they do, how the company is structured, and their mission, values, and goals in order to determine how you fit in. Should you move on in the hiring process, these things will be vital to a successful interview—and you’ll be one step ahead. Failing to research the company before submitting your job application will result in an ineffective resume and cover letter. If you do manage to land a job interview without conducting research on the company, you'll be scrambling trying to prepare for interview questions, and you might fumble your answers if you don't do enough research.

How to avoid this mistake: Perform a simple Google search on the organization. Look through their company website and social media profiles. Also, read reviews of the organization and its products, and browse recent news articles that mention the company.

What are some other major job application mistakes you’ve made and/or witnessed?

If you need more help improving your job applications, check out Work It Daily's FREE Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp!

During this bootcamp, you will learn:

• How to properly format and optimize your resume
• How to optimize your LinkedIn profile
• How both of these tools can help you stand out

Interested? Sign up today!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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As an educational consultant, I facilitate teacher professional development across the United States and, sometimes, internationally. While there might be consensus in the education field on the importance of using rigorous learning standards to guide instruction, exactly which standards should be used is a matter of heated debate. So, when I once accidentally mentioned in Texas the Common Core State Standards, an eruption of anger ensued. It turns out, Texas passed a law banning it! It was as if I had crossed the Rubicon; there would be no going back. From this point on, no one in this training session was listening to how to break down standards into daily lesson objectives—a process applicable to many standards frameworks. I learned a valuable lesson that day: know one’s audience when training staff.

Across many industries, there should be standard practices to ensure the effective planning and delivery of adult training and development. Staff training facilitators take heed. Failure to adhere to these practices can derail the best-laid professional development plans!

Why should we care? On average, companies spend $1,252.00 per staff member each year on training and development. Training can also be a time investment black hole with 33.5 hours of training per staff member per year being the norm. Despite this investment, 44% of new staff leave within the first six months of a new assignment. To replace these staff members, an organization also can expect to spend 21% of that staff member’s annual salary to replace them.

Here are four critical adult learning mistakes that are common missteps and strategies for steering staff training around these dangerous shallows:

I – Neglecting To Set Learning Outcomes

How do you know your training achieved its goals if an end target is not established? Although it might be nice to go off-grid and take back roads while driving on vacation, organizations don’t have the luxury in terms of time or money to let staff training go wrong. Like when teachers plan lessons around a stated learning objective, clear success criteria should be established in every staff training. Let participants know what the success criteria will be up front. Better yet, tell participants what they are going to do, do it, and then tell them—or have them tell you—what they did.

During training, monitor how well participants are learning the training material. It is easier to rephrase concepts and to reteach “in the moment” than to have participants leave trainings unprepared thus requiring follow-up staff development down the road. Consider using strategies such as signaling, choral response, and cold calling as checks on understanding. At the end of training, revisit/summarize with participants how the success criteria were met. Be sure to define/record the next steps.

II – Thinking Too Little About Personalization

Recognize that participants are people who come to staff training at various content readiness levels and with different backgrounds and cultural knowledge. Participants also might be used to learning in a particular way, even if research is now telling us we learn best using multimodal approaches, and/or interacting with internal/external stimuli dissimilarly (introverts vs. extroverts). Facilitators of learning need to meet participants in the zone where they are ready to learn and in ways that engage them in learning.

Provide a story or models when presenting your content that will interest your participants and of which participants have background knowledge. For participants less familiar with the content, training facilitators can provide scaffolds and/or learning supports so that they can meet the established success criteria. For staff who are already knowledgeable about training content, provide different options for professional development.

III – Undervaluing The Impact Of Collaboration

Rather than expecting training designers and facilitators to serve as fonts of knowledge, these people should act as learning guides and as curators/collectors of knowledge being acquired during training. Embed collaborative learning activities within the body of any staff training. To focus trainees during collaborative activities, provide training participants with the analytical questions with which they are to engage up front. Determine the discussion protocols that will be used to allow for equal representation of voice and that create collective knowledge around the training topic. Jigsaw activities, Inside-Outside Circle discussions, and quick Think-Pair-Share conversations are three easy ways in which to engage participants in collaborative discussion. There also are more formal discussion protocols out there.

IV – Limiting The Learning Environment

Post anchor charts for tasks, important links, text, infographics, etc. around the room, on Padlet, and/or on Google Drive. Extend learning and support to training participants by using 24/7 virtual discussion boards. Also, consider which training content can be delivered through online courses. Online courses, for instance, that culminate in one earning a digital badge can go some way in breaking down training content into digestible parts, allow people opportunities to complete training on their time schedule, and help organizations validate that staff has met a certain knowledge threshold.

Don’t Be Taken By Surprise

Staff training disasters cannot always be prevented. However, staff developers do not have to be blindsided by common staff development pitfalls. If thoughtfully planned out, in the ways discussed above, staff training can be an impactful way through which to increase staff knowledge around their roles and responsibilities as well as your organization.

Please feel free to reach out to me at John Schembari, Ed.D. | LinkedIn.

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