Looking for a job is a lot like hunting: You take every opportunity to try to lure in a target. You use baits in order to gain their attention, but when you set off alarms, you scare them off. Employers are like this, too. When they see all the right things in you, they’ll let you in, but if they see bad signs, their alarms go off and they’ll avoid you.
If employers have been wary of inviting you for an interview, there might be things that they see in you that scare them away—things you’re not aware of. The following are three major signals that can set an employer’s alarm off.
Horrible Spelling and Grammar on Your Resume
If you were to hire someone for a position as detail-driven as an accountant and you find an applicant’s resume filled with errors, would you even consider hiring the person knowing that they may make these same mistakes with your financial documents?
Skipping proofreading not only shows that you’re not detail-oriented, but also shows that you cut corners, which is never an option in delivering quality service to clients.
Ego Problems
During an interview a little self-promotion is expected, but when you get to the point of bragging or showing signs of ego issues, an employer won’t want to have anything to do with you.
Never bring your attitude with you to an interview; it’s one of the common signs of a bad employee. Stick to promoting the work you’ve done; this is what will motivate an employer to hire you.
Sketchy Reputation
No matter how good you say you are, if you’re reputation says otherwise, it will be a hard sell to any employer. It’s not insurmountable, but it will be more difficult. Your past can certainly haunt you if you’re not careful about what you do offline or online.
In any case, examine yourself and your strategy so that you don’t scare off employers. If there is something you’re doing that’s causing hiring managers to avoid you, now is the time to make a change.
