We asked over 150 Central Florida employers (over 125 Insurance employers) to give us their best advice to get a job with their company. We have narrowed the list down to three mistakes that might not look huge but is playing a big part on why you might not be getting hired.
1. Spelling and grammar issues. This is something you control 100%. Your resume should be well written and without one spelling error. Believe it or not, employers find errors in resumes about 20% of the time. OUCH! The second spot that you may be making mistakes is when you fill out fields in the online application process. Most of these online applications do not have spell check. Guess what? You are spelling words wrong all the time. Take your time when filling these applications out. Also, if the hiring authority emails you to set up an interview or ask a question, make sure your response is checked for spelling and grammar. Your first impression today may be a "digital impression". A bad digital impression is like going to an interview with jeans and a dirty t-shirt!
2. Poor communication during the interview. Many of you are having bad interviews costing you a chance to work at the company. Employers were surprised how many of you didn't do any research on the company or the people that work there. To improve in an interview, find out everything possible about the company. To be honest, you should do that before even applying to the company to see if it is a place you even want to work.
Once in the interview, make sure you can communicate your skill set match to the interview. Past performance is an indicator of future performance. Relate real examples of what you did to give the interviewer a visual picture of your talent. Don't fall in the trap of saying yes to questions like "are you a good sales person?". The answer is "yes, and at my last company one of the projects I was responsible for produced a 120% revenue increase".
Written by: Roger Lear
3. Horrible follow up. The US Post Office is still delivering mail today. A quick hand written note to anyone you interviewed with and mailed will leave a great impression. While the interview is the most important piece, the way you follow up may make you the choice if you are competing with others for the same job. Email is okay in some cases, but go out of your way - follow up via mail ALWAYS makes an impression. The note should be short, thank them for their time and let them know you are very interested and excited about the position (if you are).
