25 Habits to Break if You Want a Job

by HANNAH MORGAN on FEBRUARY 2, 2011

"...These are the top 25 habits to break, or not fall into, if you want to land a job quickly:

Only apply for jobs online
Send the same generic cover letter to every job you apply to
Use the same resume for every job you apply to
Don’t network or meet new people
Don’t ask your friends and family for information
Complain about being unemployed
Bad mouth your previous employer
Don’t target companies, apply to anything anywhere
Ask everyone you know for a job
Be vague, general and “able to do anything”
Don’t take time to assess your strengths and passion
Don’t research salaries
Don’t follow up on anything
Wing the interview, who needs to prepare
Don’t do anything differently
Stay away from LinkedIn and social media
Keep your search geography very small, don’t apply for jobs outside this range
Only consider the large, well known employers
Talk a lot and chew gum during the interview, and bring a friend along
Assume the company will let you know the status of their opening
Don’t try and negotiate the job offer
Wait and wait and wait for the company to call you
Show you are desperate for the job, maybe they’ll feel sorry for you
Don’t invest time to learn new things about your occupation
Don’t read newspapers, trade publications or industry newsletters

It is quite easy to fall into the “wrong” routine- one that is not producing the results you want. If you find that you aren’t getting interviews or enough interviews, change something you are doing. If you find you are getting interviews but not getting job offers (remember, you won’t be offered every job you interview for) evaluate what you are saying and how you are saying it by videotaping yourself or getting feedback. Taking ownership and being pro-active in your job search rests in your capable hands!

If you just change one of these 25 things, and give it time (it generally takes 30 days to break a habit!), you can start to see different outcomes."