Hello, job seekers! We received a staggering 880 applications in just a single week for our recent software developer role. It seems safe to say, we’ve seen it all when it comes to blunders and unrealistic expectations in the application process. So, we’ve decided to spill the beans – here are nine of the most common mistakes people make when applying. Grab your coffee and let's dive into the wild world of job hunting faux pas!
Vancouver and Toronto folks – I get it; you have dreams of grandeur and expect big city salaries. The cost of living there is huge. But here's the deal: we're fully remote and we hire all across the beautiful Canadian landscape! Consider swapping those high-rise dreams for a cozy suburb or an adventure town to keep your salary expectations competitive with other applicants. Besides, your bank account, commute time, and mental health may just thank you.
Don’t write your resume as though you were text messaging a friend. Attention to detail matters, folks. Take the time to proofread your application. Trust me, recruiters notice when you can't tell "your" from "you're." Imagine dropping a Slack message to your peers during an on-site visit letting them know lunch is ready: “Time to eat people” compared to “Time to eat, people” – whoopsie.
If your resume looks like it was written by a confused squirrel on a coffee high, how can we trust you with being involved in eight enterprise projects? Or, communicating complex information to our school board partners? Color, negative space, typeface, and arrangement, all play a factor in the readability of your resume. A well-structured resume speaks volumes about your organizational skills and keeps you surfing on the top of the huge digital resume stack.
Picture this: a hiring manager opening up LinkedIn only to find your auto-generated snooze-fest message slammed up against the other 750 people who did the same thing. If you’re serious about us, stop the sloth! Say something remarkable, thoughtful, taking time to craft a personalized message that demonstrates interest and capability.
One year here, two years there. Are you a commitment-phobe? Chasing the easiest salary gains? Or, failing to perform any due diligence on companies to whom you might work? Frequent job changes raise eyebrows, regardless of your reasons. Be thoughtful before accepting a position and it will show future employers you're serious about your career by having a clean history. Pro tip: being promoted inside the same organization is like a firework going off when we check out your resume.
Sorry, folks, but claiming sociology or anthropology as practical experience for a software development or product role won't fly. You’ll score far more points for writing an insanely awesome cover letter and being honest about any lack of experience than fudging a cover up job.
One of our two main mantras at Imagine Everything is “what you don’t know isn’t nearly as consequential as what you can’t learn.” We’ve had people call us out on it in their cover letters – and some of them now work here. Your eagerness and ability to learn are weighted far higher than the absence of a year or two of experience.
Don't leave recruiters struggling to view your resume! Stick to PDF format for maximum viewability. LinkedIn won't let recruiters automatically preview Word documents unless they are using some kind of third-party applicant tracking system (which we detest). If your resume is not immediately viewable, you just landed as a pool of 0’s in the digital void. Scary stuff.
Forget boring job descriptions for your historical positions; show us what you're made of! Highlight your game-changing contributions, jaw-dropping achievements, and that one time you saved the company from an angry stampede of llamas (well, maybe not that last one).
Don't make your cover letter a snoozefest that screams "copy-paste" from the job post. And, don’t send a generic cover letter either. Get personal, people! Certainly, reference the job posting, but share a unique insight about your experience and how it might benefit the required skills noted in the posting. Let your personality shine! Identifying candidates who would be an extremely good corporate culture fit weighs heavily in our books, especially if we believe they learn quickly.
Did you know LinkedIn allows you to add up to three job postings as your top choice? Employers are able to see this before we even see your resume and it helps separate those who are serious about the role from people who applied to 6,543 other jobs hoping to land a lucky interview.
Now that you know the common pitfalls, it's time to spice up your application game. Set realistic expectations, proofread like a pro, and organize that resume like a superstar. Personalize your LinkedIn messages, think twice before job hopping, and be honest about your educational background. Stick to PDF, showcase your impact, and craft cover letters that make hearts flutter. Remember, standing out in the job market takes a bit of creativity, a dash of personality, and a whole lot of determination.
And, one final tip specific to our roles: it never hurts to throw in a Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or other great sci-fi / fantasy reference somewhere in your cover letter or resume.
Good luck, job seekers – you've got this!
Our team can't wait to show you what we've been up to alongside some of the best minds in Education.