Objective... if you have one, make sure it is accurate.

An objective can be a positive statement, but it can also completely ruin your chances of getting hired. If you are applying to a consulting role, don't state your objective is to obtain a clerical position. Really? Why would you take the time to even submit your resume? I know times are tough for people and the job market has not been a good place to be as of late, which means people need to be even more attentive to their resume and its accuracy. Put the time and effort into putting your best foot forward. Be accurate and provide information relevant to the position your are applying for... anything less is a waste of time and the recruiter's time. I have forwarded solid resumes from candidates that didn't fit my openings to other recruiters who could use them - I have NEVER forwarded a bad resume.

Leaving a voice mail

He is another candidate blunder... I received a voice mail last week from a candidate looking to follow up on a phone interview we conducted the previous week. The message was rushed and he only left his first name and did not include his phone number! Needless to say, I did not go through all of my notes to figure out who the candidate was and return his call. He did call back this week and he left me a voice mail... He again omitted his last name, but this time, much to my surprise, he did include his phone number. I did return his call almost immediately, answered his questions and sent him on his way...

It is a basic rule in business to give your first and last name... ALWAYS! Make the recruiter's life easier and don't make them search for your info. What if we interviewed two people with the same name? Odds are you won't get a call back...

LinkedIn.com

If you are one of the millions of people utilizing the social media professional networking giant we all know as LinkedIn.com, please make sure you are putting the time and effort into creating a full and accurate profile. There is no sense in creating a profile that is incomplete or inaccurate! It would be like handing a resume to a hiring manager or recruiter with errors and only partially completed. What is the point? Your profile is an opportunity for you to have an up-to-date resume working for you 24/7 without having to worry about HR finding it on the printer or on a job board. Take advantage of the publicity, but make sure you are positioning yourself correctly. If you think hiring authorities are not utilizing social media sites, think again...

In Person Interview... Know Where You Are Going!

I got a call from a candidate on Friday about 10 minutes before her in person interview. She was unable to locate the building where the interview would be held. I told her the address again and sent her on her way. Five minutes later, she called me back and could not find the suite... Really?

This was a very simple mishap that could have been avoided with a little planning. There are so many tools out there now that would have been helpful for the candidate to utilize: Mapquest, Google Maps or even taking a dry run a day or two prior to the interview. Take the initiative to know where you are going and how long it will take you to get there.

Phone Interview... Be prepared

This morning I conducted a phone screen with a candidate that was completely unprepared for the interview and the call in general. I asked the candidate why he applied for the position, he responded by saying, "it looked like an interesting position." When I asked him specifically about what was interesting to him, he couldn't answer the question. Later in the conversation he asked me to explain the job to him... Really?

Before a phone interview, take a few minutes to review the job description again and make sure you are in a quiet, distraction free place. Know what you are interviewing for, have questions and be able to have a conversation about the position and your experiences. And finally, the last thing an interviewer wants to hear is excess background noise. It can make it hard to hear the candidate and it comes off as unprofessional. If you can not escape the noise, make sure your address the noise at the beginning of your call; doing so may be the thing that tips the scale in your favor and helps you advance in the interview process.

Job Description... Read It.

I can't tell you how many times I have completed a phone screen with a candidate and the candidate failed to read the job description. Really? If you can't take the time to review what you are interviewing for, why should a company hire you? Save yourself some time and the recruiter some time and review the job description. Make certain it is a job you are truly interested in performing. If you get the job and hate it, you will be interviewing again in no time. And let's face it, no one likes to go through an interview process.

Leaving a voice mail

The biggest issues I have when a candidate leaves me a voice message is being able to understand the phone number. Don't be in too big of a hurry to get out your message and hang up. The most important thing after your name is the number where you can be reached. Take your time, speak clearly and leave a good phone number. Leaving it twice will ensure the person getting the message will get the number correct. No sense in losing out on an opportunity because the person couldn't return your call.