Let’s see. You spend days and days and hours and hours pouring over job postings on the net…Monster, Workopolis, Linked In, Indeed, WOW Jobs, Bullhorn Reach…..the list is endless. But wait, you find a couple that are just made for you!
You tweak your resume for each role. After all, you want to make sure you’ve highlighted the key competencies they need and that your accomplishments really position you in the best light possible. Then you sit down to craft that all-important cover letter. You take the time to match your qualifications to the qualifications of the role. You take the time to highlight how what you’ve done is relevant. You point out how you can help that company. You let them know just how much you know about their industry, their company and this role!
You put it all together. You check it…you double check it…you triple check it. You get your mother to check it!
You’re ready. You hit ‘send’ send. Then you get this e-mail from me in response:
Thank you Mark (not his real name) for submitting your resume to ABC Company (not the real company name). Unfortunately, we are not Loblaw’s (that is the real name) and we are not currently recruiting for a Manager, Corporate Strategy (real title). Best of luck in your job search. I’m sure you’ll do well.
Let’s review. Did he check it? Probably? Did he double check it? Maybe? Triple check? Surely not. And I bet his mother never laid eyes on it?
Moral of the story (as I told my Career Planning and Development class yesterday). It’s not the content that trips you up. It’s the stuff that spell check can’t catch. Like names. Like addresses. And like silly mistakes of not changing the name of the company and the role or not paying attention and sending it to the wrong company. Pay attention. Your career is on the line my friends.
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