It’s happened to many of us . . . making the dreaded mistake in our job search. The mistakes can range from minor to major but, nonetheless, we do not want to repeat them.

Maybe you can relate to some of these examples:

• Inputting the wrong company name in a cover letter.
• Forgetting to send a thank you email after a job interview.
• Misspelling a word on a resume.
• Getting lost and showing up late to an interview.

My Job Research Mistake

I’d like to share an example from my past to illustrate. When I was job searching years ago, I neglected to adequately research the position I applied for and, subsequently, got an interview for. When they asked me the following interview question: “What is the task you liked the least in your last position?”

I answered honestly. Unfortunately the answer I gave was a task that comprised 25% of the job I was interviewing for. I lost the job at this moment. My mistake was not that I was honest. My mistake was not doing enough research to understand that I would probably dislike 25% of this job.

Avoid Making the Same Job Research Mistakes

First ask yourself if you can recover. If so then go into saving mode. For example, if you forgot to mention how you meet a pertinent skill in your interview, include that information in your “thank you” email.

If you cannot recover, at least learn from the mistake. We are not perfect but we need to learn from our mistakes. The important thing is to not repeat them. Job searching is a process and will go more smoothly at certain times than others. By learning from your mistake, you will make the job search process smoother.

More Help

If you are making these mistakes fairly often then you will need a process to eliminate them. Read my blog on Why Your Resume is not being Considered for additional help.

*Revised on 04/20/2016