Little Things that Make a Big Difference in your Job Search - Your Career Intel

Little Things that Make a Big Difference in your Job Search - Your Career IntelAs an executive recruiter, its my job to facilitate advantageous hiring practices. This means leid only finding the best candidates for the job, but also ensuring that prospective hires present themselves to their best advantage during the bewerberinterview process. Ive noticed that many talented job seekers even those who take seriously the demands of interviewing neglect small details that are both important and revealing to employers, and thereby hurt their chances of success.To make the best impression on hiring managers, take these eight details seriously.Be on alert modeOnce you have started your job hunt and your resume is in the hands of potential employers or executive recruiters, you should be easily accessible. Imagine this A busy Human Resources associate emails five people to set up interviews. Four of them respond right away, but one is on vacation, or rarely checks his or her email. Most l ikely, by the time the fifth person responds, HR has already arranged the four interviews and left the slow-poke in the trash pile.Here are some specific alert ideas to consider You may be of the text me, dont e-mail me generation. However, your employer is, most likely, not from that generation. The email address listed on your resume should be checked often throughout the day. Provide only your cellphone number on your resume. You dont want a hiring manager or recruiter leaving a message for you at 900 a.m. at home if you wont get the message until the end of the day.Record a businesslike voicemail greetingIf you sound un-businesslike in your voicemail greeting yes, this includes hey guys, you know the drill employers will think twice before leaving a message. Your greeting should state your first and last personenname and invite the caller to record a message in a clear, assertive, and warm tone.Choose a professional email addressSimilar to voicemail greetings, your email addre ss is often an employers first impression of you. If your email address is a holdover from your youth, like glittergrrrrrl1234, its time to update to an address that features your full name as clearly as possible.Proofread your resumeNothing condemns your application to the reject pile faster than a sloppy resume. Typos, spelling errors, and verb tense mistakes show hiring managers that youre not detail-oriented and dont care about how you present yourself at work. While spell-check will catch most errors, sometimes even correctly spelled words are grammatically incorrect. Solution Proofread your resume twice, and ask a friend to do so also.Dont take advantageIf you are lucky enough to be invited to an on-site interview, your visit might include a hotel stay. Stay away from the mini-bar, the in-room phone, and room service billed to the room. If prospective employers feel that youve taken advantage of their hospitality, they will be less than impressed.Be polite to everyoneMany empl oyers have told me that they judge whether a new hire would be a good cultural fit by the way he or she treats the receptionist. Hotel front desk staff, receptionists, and other administrative employees often have a direct line to the hiring manager, and will report unbecoming behavior.Perfect a firm handshakeA limp, non-committal handshake makes a terrible impression. Its as simple as that. Female hiring managers in particular have told me that weak handshakes are alienating it gives the impression that either you are overly intimidated, or dont respect the other person as an equal. Shake hands warmly and confidently, with a big smile.Practice eye contactYour interviewer is evaluating the level of eye contact you maintain. Poor eye contact suggests that you are not listening, or that you are so nervous that you cant engage with others in the room. The day you send out your first resume should be the day you start practicing eye contact. Make eye contact with everyone you encounter. Ask your spouse or friend to have a 30-minute conversation with you about any subject, and practice maintaining eye contact. Once this has become a habit, then you will be able to focus much better on the interview questions themselves.These details may seem trivial, but they are far more consequential than most people think. Refining these aspects of your self-presentation can help you make a strong impression throughout the interview process.What neglected details do you notice among potential hires? What self-presentation tips can you share?