Let me know if you hear about anything I would be interested in.

Recently I was introduced to someone who almost immediately told me he was looking for a job. Then he said those deadly words: “Let me know if you hear of anything for me.” What a networking killer.

I didn’t know enough about him to even be able to identify a good “anything” yet here he was asking me to let him know when I found one of those. At this point, unfortunately, people often say “sure” and then move on. Don’t kid yourself the way I used to. They won’t remember you.

The Easy Way Out (Leading Nowhere, unfortunately)
It’s hard to think about, but right now we should ask ourselves, “Have I done that?” If you have, think about what you were hoping to accomplish. And how did you feel when you said it?

Remember the words and tone of the response you got. That memory alone may convince you not to make those requests any more.

Help Them Be Able to Help You!
I told him I wouldn’t know how to identify a good “anything” for him. He paused, and then said, “Oh, I’m asking you to do all the work here, aren’t I? Not only do I want you to let me know when you hear about something, but I am leaving it up to you to figure out what I would want to hear about.” He got it!

Sample of Email Requests that Get You Nowhere (again!)
I wanted to share a portion of an email I got from someone just a couple of days ago. I did not know this person, and there wasn’t any way I could be of any assistance to him based on the information in the email.

In addition, I have no idea what “seek your advice on any current and/or future searches for your clients” really means. Strangely that phrase or something similar is in almost every email I get from job seekers.

“I’m currently in a career transition following the elimination of my position due to a company-wide reduction in force.

A copy of my resume is attached and I can be reached on xxx-xxx-xxxx. Please let me know if you hear about anything that might be of interest to me.

I’d appreciate it if you would let me know when you have searches for your clients that would be a good fit for my experience and skills.

Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.”

Heartbreaking Results from so much Effort
If I hadn’t been curious about where he learned to write this kind of networking email and how he expected it would help him, I would never have called him. I would have deleted his email and not kept his information. I bet he sent a lot of these out, and I know that was a lot of work.

When I spoke to him, he admitted that he had been coached on how to write this email. He said he had sent it to a lot of people, and was really disappointed in the results. I was the only person who had contacted him!

Tip to Try: Help Others Help You
Please be specific about how others can help you in job search. People do really want to be of assistance. Give us specifics about how we can help you, and you’ll be delighted at the good information that starts coming your way.

Author: Katherine Moody

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2. Job Interviews – 101 Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Prepare a resume that sells. Is your resume a timeline, historical document, or a sophisticated marketing and sales piece? Sell the employer on your best attributes and what you can bring to them. Quantify when possible!

This may sound like a no brainer but practice makes perfect. Actually practice answering interview questions. When I’m getting ready for a big job interview I think about all the questions I could possibly be asked during the interview and I already have my answers formulated in my mind. This way there are no long, uncomfortable pauses and I’m not scrambling to put something together on the spot.

Be prepared. Boy Scout motto or instrumental piece in landing a great career? Take a notepad to the interview with you. I usually jot down 3-5 accomplishments I am most proud of, my three biggest strengths, and my one weakness. Because you know they’re going to ask so you might as well be prepared. In addition to having your notes handy when they ask you those big questions you can also jot down notes during the interview. This is great because it makes the interviewer feel that you are really interested and are paying attention to what they are saying.

Be early. I recommend showing up 10-15 minutes early. Sure you will have to wait but what happens when the interviewer walks out to the waiting room and you’re not there yet? If you are going to be late because of an earth shattering emergency call ahead. But don’t be late! That pretty much assures the job is not yours. The common belief here is if you can’t make an interview on time you won’t make it to work on time. I would say that is a fair assessment.

Make sure you show up alone. When I was a recruiter for a staffing agency I don’t even want to go into how many people showed up for the interview and brought their family or kids along. This is a big no-no!

Bring extra copies of your resume. You never know when an extra person may sit in on the interview. I always bring one copy for everyone, a copy for myself and a few extras. Just in case there is someone extra.

I know you are nervous but do not fidget, play with your clothes, hair, jewelry, shoes, etc. It is just bad form.

When introduced make sure you smile, shake their hand firmly (but don’t break it) and wait to be seated until they sit down first. Common courtesy and professional etiquette – it’s the details that matter, believe me.

Answer their questions professionally and when applicable use an example from your previous experience. This confirms to your employer that you really do have experience in the area they are questioning you.

If they ask “Have you ever done…” something before and you have not; do not just say no. Say something like: “I have not actually had experience with that but I am confident that if someone showed me how I could do it.” Or “No, I have not done that before however, I am a fast learner and I am confident that I could learn quickly and provide the results you expect.” This communicates your willingness to learn new tasks, your ability to adapt easily and your confidence in your abilities. Being flexible and open is always a great quality!

When they ask if you have any questions do not say no! This is one of the biggest mistakes I see candidates make. If you say no it appears as though you have no interest. Even if they have answered all your questions surely there are some you can think to ask. I always have 2-3 questions jotted down on my notepad before I come in. They usually consist of ‘how the position/person is managed’, ‘what the management style is of the person who will be managing me’, and ‘what the next step will be in the hiring process’. The last question is always important; you want to know where it is going once you’re done interviewing.

It is not okay to ask the interviewer “How did I do?” That is BAD FORM! And puts the interviewer on the spot and they will most likely not tell the truth because if your interview was awful they’re not going to come out and say you did horrible you’re not getting the job. Plus, the majority of interviewers will discuss the interview with other team members before they come to a conclusion about your performance and the next step for you.

When you leave make sure you thank them for their time and let them know you look forward to hearing from them soon. This conveys your interest and is a professional way to exit.

Follow up with a thank you note. Yes, you MUST send a thank you note. Do you have any idea how many people don’t send thank you notes? Do you know how many people that do send thank you notes actually get the job?! Every interview I’ve been on that I’ve mailed a thank you note to I’ve received an offer (minus one). In addition, the majority of hiring managers I know will give someone a second look if they thought enough to send a thank you note. It lets the interviewer know you are still interested in the position, you are excited about it, and you are thoughtful, organized, and professional enough to send a thank you note. Don’t question it – just do it and see what happens.

Do not call the interviewer every day asking about the status. This is so annoying and YES people really do this. Please do not be one of these people; it will get your name scratched off the list so quick you won’t even see it coming. Calling a week after you mail your thank you letter to check the status is acceptable, anything after that I think becomes a nuisance. Chances are if the job was yours within two weeks of your interview you would have heard something.

Last but not least do not put your eggs all in one basket. I knew someone that every time he had an interview he immediately stopped his job search. I never understood this; he stopped sending out resumes, stopped applying on line, and stopped mailing out letters. He put all his eggs in this one basket and sadly when it didn’t work out he had lost two weeks in his job search, had to start all over again and was more discouraged then ever. Getting a ‘no’ is inevitable you are not going to ace every interview and be the perfect fit every time.

If you stay consistent, focused, and look at finding a job like it is your full time job then eventually you will succeed and it will all be worth it. Keep these interview tips tucked away and refer back to them before each interview.

Author: Jessica M Holbrook

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This also provide convenience to job seekers since the search process has been narrowed down into just job listings instead of using a regular search engine that may provide you a long list of results and some may not even be associated with the job you are looking for.

Another advantage of using job search engines is their large job bank. If you are looking for job and does not have restrictions on the job location, then using job search engines is good for you.

Unlike the job ads in newspapers, which can only provide you limited search ads and you cannot go back to the ads posted the other day, job search engines provides a wide range of selection and are searchable as long as the job is still offered by the company. However, some job search engines are limited only to certain regions or countries so you may want to check the services offered before choosing a job search engine.

Job search engines are also easy to use because all you have to do is using the search box. They even list the job per category so you can also view all job listings for a specific job position. Some job search engine also great features offered by, which will make your job-hunting much easier. These include:

Free resume posting. Job search engines often allow you to post your resume. Then, the job search engine will use this information so it can identify which job is right for you. Instead of looking for a job yourself, the job search engine will send you an email with the list of new job posting which matches your preferred job, credentials and work experience (based on the resume you posted).

View company profile. Knowing the background of the company that you are applying for is important so that you know if you share the same vision with what the company has. Also, from the profile, you can see what the company can offer to you. This can help you decide if you really would like to be part of the company before even applying to them. You can also make comparison among companies if ever they posted same job openings. Thus, you can first collect and just select the best later on.

Customizable search. If you would like to narrow your search and would view only job openings that meet your preset criteria, utilizing the customizable search can do this. Criteria can be job location, expected salary, schedule preference, category search or employment type.

Get job advice. Some search engine sites even extend their help by providing tips and advice about your job or job hunting. You can look up for articles about resume writing, preparing for an interview, etc. You may even send an email to them or chat with their agent about a problem you are having with your job or if you are having difficulty looking for a job.

With the many services and features of job search engines, they can effectively help you in landing to your dream job.

Author: Dave Poon

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Job seekers can hardly exhaust all the job search resources, so we have meta job search engines which will simultaneously search several job board for the same job search criteria.

One of the major mistakes common job seekers make is to search only the super job search engines. Admittedly more job openings are posted on the super job search engines, but in the mean time, the employers who use the supper sites will also receive much more applications for the posted position.

A large portion of job bank traffic is generated by job seekers, not employers, therefore the higher a job site’s traffic is, the more competitive the positions are. Additionally, many employers, especially those smaller companies, are posting only to second tire job banks for various reasons, some to reduce the influx of applications, some for a better posting plan, some to retrain applicants to local area.

Step 1 – Search Meta Job Search Engines

You can jump start your job search using the meta job search engines, which will simultaneously check multiple job boards. No meta search engines covers all the job banks, and different meta search engines supports different job banks. There are two types of meta search engines, respectively Link Engine and Listing Engine. The Link Meta Search Engines save you time in entering search criteria, so that you simply enter keyword, choose region and categories once, and then get cooked links for various job banks. The Listing Engine goes one step forward, will present all the job listings, so that you needn’t pay a visit to each individual job bank. The third type of job search engine is special Meta Job Search Engine Software that not only searches the job, but also assists in composing cover letter and resume sending.

Step 2 – Post Your Resume to Job Banks

Most websites request job seekers to post resume in order to apply online, and to post your resume to all websites is a frustrating task. You can either perform the task manually, or use Resume Posting services, which do the job for you. However, Resume Posting Service is different from resume broadcasting service, which broadcasts your resume directly to recruiters.

Step 3 – Experience as Many Job Banks as Possible to Select Your Job Banks

Meta Job Search Engines only deal with some of the popular job banks. A job seeker should try as many job banks as possible, and then conclude which web sites are more effective for you. There are quite a few less known job banks with outstanding job postings. You dont necessarily have to use all the resources all the time, but at the beginning you should try different resources so that you known which ones works better for you particular occupation, region and experience level.

Author: Michael Adams

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It’s likely that you committed an interview mistake. Most hiring managers are willing to let one or two small matters slide. However, if you commit several of the common interview mistakes you will never make the short list.

We interviewed hiring managers, recruiters, and even job seekers to identify the most common mistakes made by job applicants. We intentionally did not rank the list of interview offenses, since their impact will vary widely depending on the attitude of the interviewer.

As you review the list below, some mistakes will appear quite obvious even common sense (and humorous). Some mistakes apply only to one gender but there are plenty to go around.

We recommend that you review our list and make a personal checklist of your own, based on the job, the company, and your past experiences. Prior to each interview look at the list again. In this way, you will become conditioned in your behavior and responses. After each interview debrief yourself as soon as possible. Go through the list, checking those items that were mishandled.

By carefully crafting your answers and avoiding interview mistakes, your confidence will increase and your job campaign will improve dramatically.

101 Job Interview Mistakes:

1. Arriving late for interview (and not calling to advise the interviewer)
2. Bringing food and drink into the interview
3. Wearing huge medals, chains, and gaudy jewelry
4. Smelling of smoke
5. Referring to any member of the staff in some derogatory or suggestive way
6. Using foul language
7. Forgetting to bring extra resumes
8. Taking liberties with interviewer Ex: addressing by first name
9. Leaving your cell phone on (and answering)
10. Wearing shirt unbuttoned down the front; sleeves rolled up
11. Bad mouthing your past supervisor or employer
12. Dressing very casual or overdressing – simple conservative always works
13. Failing to send thank you note after interview
14. Wearing shorts, T-shirts floppies, sneakers, baseball hat, blue jeans
15. Hair disheveled or unkempt
16. Chewing gum
17. Wearing tie or shirt with stains
18. Messed up clothes- poorly pressed
19. Tracking dirt, snow, rain, etc. into the office
20. Showing off tattoos
21. Wearing dirty or scuffed shoes
22. Putting briefcase or purse on interviewer’s desk
23. Poor posture when sitting- slouching
24. Failing to give firm handshake
25. Making derogatory references to gender, race, or age
26. Unshaved
27. Body odor;bad breath
28. Too much perfume or aftershave cologne
29. Shuffling papers and notes during interview
30. Failure to bring critical reference material -dates, names, addresses etc
31. Failing to get names and titles or bus cards of people interviewed
32. Failing to acknowledge everyone in the organization Ex: receptionist, assistants etc.
33. Assuming one or more of the staff are not influential in hiring decision
34. Interrupting receptionist or other staff with frivolous conversation
35. Laughing boisterously during interview
36. Telling jokes during interview
37. Failing to thank interviewer and express enthusiastic interest in the position
38. Failing to ask their level of interest – how you fit – the next step
39. Asking who else is applying – What are their names
40. Replying: ‘I already answered that question’
41. Lying
42. Losing temper or arguing with interviewer
43. Asking detailed salary questions on first interview
44. Focusing on medical benefits and sick time during initial discussions
45. No answer for “What kind of position are you seeking..What are your job objectives?”
46. Fidgeting – fooling with hair and hands, cracking knuckles
47. Picking up and fussing with stuff on interviewer’s desk
48. Asking personal questions of interviewer
49. Hemming and hawing when answering
50. Failing to answer a question – stalling – ignoring a question
51. Failing to be prepared for the most common questions
52. Asking about vacation and comp time in the beginning
53. Asking for flex time unless it is a routine and expected part of the job
54. Coming to interview sick
55. Bringing a friend or relative along (even to the waiting area)
56. Directing the interviewer – “You should…do this or that”
57. Failing to smile and show enthusiasm
58. Rambling on instead of a clear concise answer
59. Answering questions with irrelevant details
60. Exaggerating skills and achievements
61. Failing to maintain eye contact
62. Acting as if you are the obvious choice or already have the job
63. Being dismissive of the HR staff and its function
64. Offering apologies or qualifiers before an answer
65. Failing to do research -asking questions that you should already know the answers to
66. Showing off your knowledge about the company with items of common knowledge
67. Implying you are deserving of a promotion before you start
68. Failing to backup supposed skills with specific examples
69. Being a philosopher: Focus instead on your concrete value adding abilities
70. Being unprepared for tough questions about past failings, problems, dismissals etc.
71. Interrupting the interviewer
72. Using threatening language – “If I don’t get this job…..”
73. Mispronouncing an important word or name
74. Failing to address the interviewer by name in the course of the interview
75. Failing to overcome negative observations or conclusions made by interviewer
76. Saying money doesn’t matter
77. Asking for something to eat or drink
78. Asking “When can I expect my review and how often do you give raises”
79. Failing to follow interviewer’s lead:If all business-then you be all business etc.
80. Holding interviewer hostage: Recognize when the interview is over
81. Failing to find out the next step in the process
82. Focusing and commenting on the office trappings, titles, and office size
83. Declaring what you don’t do or won’t do
84. Making references to employment law and labor regulations
85. Debating issues with interviewer
86. Emphasizing your medical conditions
87. Being a pity applicant: employer is primarily interested in their needs not yours
88. Talking down to the interview implying your skills and experience are superior
89. Saying “You probably don’t know this because of your age or lack of experience but…”
90. Failing to change your personal voice mail to a professional response
91. Don’t cross your legs or ankles during interview
92. Failing to warn family and roommates of possible calls from prospective employers
93. Conducting telephone interviews in noisy environment or subject to interruptions
94. Using existing employer’s telephone or email to communicate with prospective employers
95. Forgetting critical info – Who are you interviewing with? Time, address
96. Making reference to prospective employers on social networks and blogs
97. Failing to get detailed directions beforehand
98. Texting in front of the interviewer or other staff
99. Asking to use the phone for routine matters
100. Talk about politics or controversial events involving politics, religion etc.
101. Offering details about personal life not needed by interviewer

Copyright 2009 T Collins Group LLC

Author: Timothy M Collins

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With this in mind we developed our site with the intention of providing you with the best career advice at the time when you need it most, all displayed in easy to navigate categories. Within the pages of Work Jobs Employment you will find free career advice articles relating to cover letter writing, CVs and Resumes, Looking For Vacancies, free CV / Resume templates, Interview advice and more!

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