How to Derail Your Job Search

Secrets of the Job Hunt list five job search mistakes, but I want to highlight the first one:

Overselling/Underselling. It is probably just as bad to oversell your qualities as it is to undersell them. The reason that either one occurs is because job seekers place all the emphasis on the product (themselves) and forget about the buyer (the potential employer) and the buyer’s needs. Big mistake!!

I've seen plenty of both. Those that try to oversell are usually weeded out either in the resume review process or by an initial phone interview most of the time, so they really aren't that much of an issue. What I see more of are people who undersell their abilities. How do they do this? Here are several ways people make mistakes in the hiring process and leave potential employers questioning their skills and abilities:

1. They stumble through the job hunting process, often looking unprofessional, because they don't know how the game is played and the purpose of each phase in the search.

2. Their resume is weak and not filled with accomplishments.

3. Their interview is underwhelming because they haven't prepared adequately for it. (And this is such an easy problem to overcome.)

4. They talk too much in the interview.

5. They don't dress appropriately.

6. They choose weak references.

7. They give up when they think they have a job in the bag.

Yes, I realize that not all of these reflect people actually underselling their abilities directly, but many of them put a question in the potential employer's mind that makes him think "maybe this person isn't up to the task I have for them."

Also, I listed on a few of these -- there are actually many more ways to screw up a job search process and not present yourself in the best light. If you'd like some thoughts on how to make the most of your career, check out my career posts for this year -- there's lots of good stuff to review and implement.