The process of tracking down job postings, researching hiring managers, and altering your résumé can easily feel like a full-time job within itself.
That’s why diversity recruiter Torin Ellis has made it his duty to educate both employers and job seekers about the process of finding the right employee and job that suits them best.
As founder of the Rip the Résumé program, Ellis hosts career development sessions for college students and professionals where he offers career strategies and consultation for navigating the job market space. With more than 17 years of experience in the talent recruitment industry, below are the big mistakes Ellis says many professionals make during the job-hunting process.
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1. Unprepared résumé: It’s important to make your résumé as concise and detailed as possible so that future employers understand the value you can bring to their company. Ellis admits that far too often, he sees résumés that don’t capture in a qualitative or quantitative way the contributions professionals have made to past employers or organizations. If you’re a professional who list your fraternity/sorority leadership position, then you need to provide details in terms of how you grew that organization or chapter to what it is today.
2. False expectations of job: Many candidates have false expectations about what the next move might look like or should look like. According to Ellis, a lot of professionals think the success, presence, or history that they’re bringing to the equation automatically sets the tone for “I should be receiving this†or “I should be responsible for that.†However, opportunities don’t work that way and Ellis says far too often he’s seen candidates with expectations that were just not a good match for the opportunity they were seeking.
3. Not searching for the right opportunity: While looking to land your next job can be an anxious process, it’s important to not apply to any and everything you see just because the title seems attractive or you think it will be fun to work in a particular space. Both of these factors can lead to an elongated job search if you go after opportunities that don’t fit the experience, success, and accomplishments you have amassed.