Two CRITICAL mistakes that job seekers make

Despite an improved economy, job seekers are still finding it difficult to land jobs, but little do they know that they might be sabotaging themselves by failing to do two things:

1. Tailoring their resume and cover letter to every job listing they respond to: Sending out the same generic resume and cover letter for every job application is a recipe for disaster. You have to be sure that many of the keywords contained in the ad are listed on your resume -- after all, some of these companies screen the resumes for these very keywords, and if the document lacks too many of them, it'll likely be tossed in the trash bin. Different jobs call for different skill sets; while some employers may want experience in budget forecasting, others may desire candidates with experience in sales. Obviously, you want to do this without stretching the truth too much. For example, I don't recommend stating that you're an expert at Photoshop if you've never even used the program. You don't want your resume riddled with blatant falsehoods that could come back to bite you later. I know that tailoring the resume to every job ad sounds like a lot of work, but in the end, it's well worth it. I managed to have great success in my job hunt with this approach.

2. Writing thank you letters: Not writing a thank you letter following an interview is no longer an option in this intensely competitive job market. If two candidates are neck and neck as far as experience and qualifications, it's little extras like thank you letters that often break the tie. As with your resume and cover letter, it is imperative that you proofread your thank you letter for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and accuracy. When recruiters are being assailed with so many applications, they're looking for any little excuse to disqualify you. A careless typo won't go undetected -- you can be sure of that. A thank you letter not only gives you the opportunity to reiterate your qualifications and experience, but it lets you reinforce how hungry you truly are for the job. I'm certain I would not have received as many job offers as I did over the years without a powerful thank you letter to help me make the case for why I was the right candidate for the position.

Have you made any of these mistakes? How helpful have you found the above strategies to be?

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