Job Application 101: Avoid These Common Mistakes

Most times when hiring managers post job openings, they end up getting more applications than they will eventually end up going forward with—sometimes, thousands and thousands of them because so many people compete for the same job.

However, hiring managers need to find the perfect fit, that ‘needle in a haystack’ profile description that will fit the job description like a glove. However, more often than not, this is a challenging, lengthy, and tedious procedure for not only the hiring managers, but also for the applicants, given all the emotional exhaustion they go through.

One of the first steps hiring managers need to take is weed out applications that either don’t meet the job requirements, are incomplete, or have some other issues. This is to narrow down the pool of applicants to make the whole process easier, especially if the position has been open for quite a while.

Thousands of applications are discarded in this initial step. To make sure yours isn’t one of them, avoid making these common job application mistakes.

Not Sticking With The Instructions On The Job Posting Or The Application Form

Think of grade school. The instructions on the assignments, tests, and examinations you took were all super important, right? You couldn’t imagine not following them!

Most people have also sat through tests where the teachers hand out exam papers that have instructions such as “write your name and submit the answer sheet without answering any of the questions for the first 15 minutes.”

This is an exam that’s designed to get students to pay attention to details like instructions and understand how important they are. However, as much as we’d like the case to be otherwise, some people still don’t really get the importance of following instructions, and this is evident in their job applications.

When you’re filling out a job application, make sure you stick to the rules and follow them to avoid your application ending up in the discarded pile. Missing out important details tells hiring managers that you lack attention to detail and can’t do what you’re told to.

Leaving Empty Areas And Blank Fields In Your Application

Just like not sticking to instructions tells hiring managers that attention to detail is not a particularly strong area, leaving fields blank also tells the human resource personnel working on the applications that you’re probably not fit for the role.

This is because, at the end of the day, the managers will have insufficient information about you, and won’t be able to make a sound judgement based on only what you’ve provided. As a result, other candidates, ones who the hiring managers feel have provided better insight, will power ahead and likely be preferred to join the shortlisted pool of candidates.

Blank fields also make it easy for a hiring manager to toss away an application to reduce the initially overwhelming number of applications to speed up the process.

Missing The Closing Date And Turning In Your Application Late

Most times, job openings are posted months before their due closing date so applicants can get the necessary paperwork done, gather the required documents, and get any pending procedures completed to fill out their application in the best possible state of mind. This increases their chances of getting selected because the more time you have, the best picture of yourself you can portray on your application.

If you’ve had months to prepare for this job, and if you want it bad enough, there is really no legitimate excuse for turning it in late. As it is, hiring managers have very limited information to base huge decisions on when it comes to hiring and turning your application in late only sends forth a negative message.

Suppose the job opening already has a substantial talent pool by the time you turn your application in. In that case, yours might even not be considered, and the hiring manager assigned to the post might just discard all ones submitted after the due date.

One great tip to keep in mind is to keep tabs on the agencies and job openings you want to apply to so you’re never late to find out and submit.

Not Paying Attention To Spelling And Grammar

Nothing justifies spelling and grammar mistakes on job applications. If you know that these aren’t your strongest areas, you can always get someone to proofread your application for you, or better yet, download spelling and grammar checkers in case of online applications and let them run a check before you hit the submit button.

A couple of errors probably won’t damage your application, but anything more than that will put forth a negative impression. The application to your dream job is far too important to not make sure it is error-free.

Not Tailoring Your Application Material According To The Job Role

A job application isn’t a one size fits all deal. This is why when you’re applying for a job, a great step is to make sure you’re tailoring the information you put down according to the role you are applying for. Highlight things and experiences that are relevant and leave out the ones that don’t relate to it.

Failing to put down only the most relevant information regarding knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities will show the hiring manager that you don’t really care enough about getting the job to make an effort in positioning yourself accordingly.

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