Setting goals that are just out of reach. There’s nothing wrong with aspirations when it comes to your career, but keep in touch with reality to keep your goals in line. If you’ve been eyeing the company president’s position (and you only have a few years of work experience), it’s best to keep in mind that everyone starts at the bottom of the ladder.

Lingering on Facebook. If you’re serious about getting a job quickly, you should invest your time building your resume, reading company backgrounds and going out searching for job opportunities rather than scrolling your newsfeed on Facebook for hours.

Not spell-checking your resume. This is a basic rule for every applicant out there. Since there are often multiple candidates suited for the job, a resume full of errors is the easiest way to get you off of the prospect list. Don’t rely on spell-checking software alone. Read your resume aloud, check the dates, and ask a couple of your friends to review it as well.

Not explaining your work experience. Avoid indicating cloudy work experience that makes your resume unappealing. Start by making a list of all your responsibilities at a given job and condense them into your resume, prioritizing what’s more important and relevant to the job you’re applying for, giving emphasis to your accomplishments. If you want a different perspective, ask a co-worker to summarize your role or explain your position and reflect on what you’ve done.

Using filler words to jazz up your resume. Don’t bother using generic or filler words to complete your resume — this is an easy ticket for the recruiter to move on to the next candidate. If a recruiter finds it hard to skim your resume, it’s that much easier to put yours aside and forget about you completely.

Flooding the Internet with your resume. It’s better to apply for a job that you think is a good fit rather than applying for half the jobs you see posted online. Keep in mind that quantity does not beat quality in a job search. Analyze each job opportunity.

A childish email address. Think of the impression you’re making if you have an email address like This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Keep it all professional and create a separate email for employment purposes. You should be able to choose one that uses your first, middle and last name.

Being all-thumbs in interviews. Spend time searching for interview questions in line with your profession and consistentlypractice answers. Draft answers and make your information organized to avoid clutching in your interviews. Don’t forget to learn about the key players in the company, together with their company background.

A questionable online profile. Build a reliable online profile that will help hiring managers learn more about you. If they don’t see a profile of you in the online world, you’re actually giving the recruiter a chance to skip your application and move on to the next one. Write relevant content related to your profession and build your LinkedIn profile. This will help hiring managers glean something about you beyond your resume and cover letter.

Not taking advantage of networking. It isn’t enough to apply for jobs online; you have to make use of your network to find more opportunities out there. You never know how your contact may help you get an interview or even endorse you for a job easily. If you think your network isn’t doing well for you, attend gatherings and seminars to meet new people in your field of expertise.

The information here should help you tweak your resume before you hand it in. Try to use these approaches and see if your job search results change.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the job. Instead, analyze where you went wrong and start looking for a new job opening to keep you going.