What are the worst job search mistakes you can
make? Some are major mistakes that can halt your
job search before it even gets going. Others are
small mistakes that, given a competitive job market,
can be enough to knock you out of contention for a
job. Be sure to avoid the top job search mistakes, so
you're in the best position to effectively find a new
job.

1. Apply for Any Job
There isn't any point wasting your time applying for
jobs that you're not qualified for. It's a waste of time,
energy, and effort. Instead, take the time to focus your
job search and apply to jobs that are a match for your skills and experience. Then target your resume and cover letter to show the hiring manager why you're
qualified at first glance.

2. Botch the Interview
What shouldn't you do when interviewing? Here are a selection of blunders, mistakes and errors a candidate for employment can make.
Spend time preparing to interview so these don't happen to you!

3. Don't Check for Typos
Check your resume, your cover letter, and every single email you send for grammar and spelling - even if it's just a quick email or LinkedIn message to a
networking contact.
Then do it again. Use full sentences and paragraphs,
regardless of how you are communicating. Writing
job search correspondence like you are texting is a
surefire way to knock yourself out of the running for
a job.

4. Don't Organize Your Job Search
Given how much email most of us get, it's really easy
to miss a message or to forget to follow up in a timely
manner. Taking a few minutes to make a list of
everything you're going to do to job search is a great way to get your job hunt off to a good start. There are free tools you can use to organize and track of all your job search activities. Take advantage of them and stay on top of your job search.

5. Don't Have an Online Presence
Most companies that are seriously interested in hiring
you are going to use Google to find out as much as
possible about you. If you don't take the time to create an online presence, you will come up short when measured against candidates who have taken the time to build one. At the minimum, you should have a LinkedIn Profile that's complete with your work history and some recommendations.

6. Fail to Research the Company
When you go into a job interview without having
researched the company, you're not going to have a
clue about what the company's goals are, how you can fit into the organization, and what you can offer the
company. When you take the time to research
companies, you will be able to find out everything
you need to know about a company before you sit
down for an interview. In addition, you will be a well-
prepared candidate for the job.

7. Focus Only on Posted Jobs
Do you have a list of companies you would like to work
for? If you do, use the Internet to discover information about the company, review open positions, and find
connections to help you apply for jobs that may not
have been advertised yet. If not, get started on
tapping the hidden job market, which are the jobs
that aren't advertised. A large number of jobs are
never posted online and you'll have an edge if you
can use a connection to help you find and apply for
them.

8. Have a Negative Attitude
Tired, discouraged, feeling like you'll never find a job?
Did you hate your last job? Was your boss a jerk? Keep
it to yourself, or at least to yourself and your friends
and family. Despite how hard it can be, it's important to
stay positive when communicating with networking contacts, recruiters, and hiring managers. Nobody likes a complainer, even if your complaints are legitimate. So, do your best to come across as positive, especially when you're
interviewing.

9. Hound the Hiring Manager
Nobody likes being bugged, especially hiring managers who are juggling lots of job openings,
interviews, and candidates. It is appropriate to follow
up, and a thank you note can help enhance your candidacy, however, it's also important to follow up appropriately and be patient. The hiring process can take a while and annoying the hiring manager isn't going to get you hired any faster.

10. Ignore Job Search Do's and Don'ts
Every part of what you do when you job search,
including looking for job postings, writing cover letters,
dressing for an interview, sending a thank you note, job searching (or not) from work, and using social media can make - or break - your job search.

Bonus: Skip Networking
Even though job search networking is one of the most
successful ways to find a new job, it can sound
intimidating and sometimes seems a little bit scary. It
doesn't have to be. It also can be time consuming,
but it doesn't have to take all day. If you build a
network a little at a time, it will be there when you
need it. Networking is one of the most important
parts of job searching, so don't skip it.

www.jobsearch.about.com/od/findajob/tp/jobsearchmistakes.htm