By Tom Tesslin
In today’s economy, there are a countless number of people applying for jobs. Whether you just lost your job, or you’re looking for a new one, I wanted to give you some tips on what you shouldn’t do when you’re filling out an application for a job.
Since your corporate based jobs generally don’t require an application, you will find that this is a different area. Instead, let’s focus more on job applications that are related to retail, as well as restaurants.
Mistakes you shouldn’t make when filling out an application…
#1 Follow the directions noted: Wherever you find out about the job opening, you’re going to want to make sure that you follow the directions. If it states no phone calls or faxes, then you’re going to want to respect this. It’s not too hard to do something like this, yet many don’t understand the concept.
#2 Meet the criteria: If the job opening states that they need at least 2 years experience, you’re going to want to have that 2 years of experience. If you don’t, you can plan on them throwing your application away as fast as possible.
#3 Watch your spelling: I know that not everybody is the best speller in the world. Even if » Read more: Job Search Tips: 7 Things You Shouldn’t Do On Your Job Application
Job-hunting is a challenging task in any environment. Many folks think it’s an even harder task during a recession. But that’s not precisely true because all of the job-hunting strategies and techniques required of the professional job changer remain the same in any climate. However, the process is quite likely to take longer because of the reduced number of job targets due to layoffs and the overall unemployment rate. And though working at any challenging task for an extended period of time is nobody’s idea of fun, it does not necessarily mean that the task itself is harder. It just requires more patience, more creativity, and more endurance.
If you attend networking meetings all you have to do is look around to visually see one of the largest demographic groups hurt in this recession – the over 40 crowd. We all know that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his/her age with respect to employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, compensation and benefits. However when looking for a job these days it sure feels like age discrimination is alive and well. Whether it is truly is age discrimination or wage discrimination as some of us like to put it, the reality is the over 40 job seeker needs to actively combat being labeled as “old”.
