Managers Reveal What NOT to Do in a Job Search

I recently spoke on a career panel hosted by Women in Technology and the Women’s IP Lawyers Association. My fellow panelists were hiring managers from technology companies. Although they came from different departments (Legal, Engineering, HR), and their companies ranged from pre-IPO to public and global, their advice to job seekers on what not to do remained consistent:

1. Don’t have a complicated resume. It needs to be cleanly formatted, error-free, and tell your story in a 3-5 second read. Focus on what you want to do, and leave out the irrelevant portions.
2. Do not send mixed messages. Employers are also looking at your LinkedIn profile, so make sure your messaging about your career and goals is unified between your resume, online presence, and interview.
3. Don’t screen yourself out of a job. Understand that a job description is a shopping list containing a mix of must-haves and nice-to-haves, so you don’t have to have 100% of the requirements. Instead, anticipate what are the likely must-haves, and apply on that basis. The job description could well have been written under time pressure and could be imperfect.
4. Don’t give up after applying online and hearing nothing. Applicant tracking software is often weak, and live screeners spend mere seconds per resume. Try submitting through another channel, like through a friend.
5. Don’t get impatient. It’s ok to take in-between steps and interim jobs before you get to your ideal job. Set frequent goals to keep yourself motivated, e.g., do one thing per day for your career.
6. Don’t go it alone. Ask your friends for feedback and advice. Help people so they will want to help you when you need it. When you ask people for help, do your research, respect their time, have something to offer them in return, and connect meaningfully so it’s a conversation that will last.