Hey, millennials! In my last blog posts, I spoke about hiring millennials and keeping them in the workplace. This blog post is all about you all!
While working here at Hire Ventures, I have been focused on the marketing the recruiting side of the business. Its involved scheduling posts on Facebook, creating new content for the website and looking at So. Many. Resumes! In Robin and I’s experience reviewing resumes, we have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.
It’s honestly strange how even strong candidates can make mistakes that can hurt chances at landing their dream job.
Millennials, as we all know, have specific characteristics that are unique to their generation. I’ve put together the top 3 mistakes I’ve seen millennials do when applying for a new position (but trust me, non-millennials make these mistakes too!)
Not reading the job description: Two *beloved* characteristics of the millennial generation are that they are both attention-seeking and multitaskers. Some might think that their little experience should constitute a senior-level position. Trust me, it doesn’t! My advice, READ the job requirements and make sure your resume reflects that you can succeed in that job.
Crazy and unprofessional social media: Let’s think back to your freshman year of college. Odds are, you posted an unflattering picture on Facebook. It’s not shocking, so don’t feel bad. We’ve all have our bad days. Now let’s think about who we would want to see that terrible picture. When posting pictures today, you may want to consider pressing delete because the odds are your future boss will see that picture and may judge you. Don’t wait a week to take them down. If you post something that you wouldn’t want a future boss from seeing, make it private, or just don’t post it! Lastly, please, make sure your public posts don’t contain curse words, boss-bashing statements, or things that could be considered questionable in a professional workplace.
You may be thinking, “what if I’m already past that point and I have a bunch of bad, embarrassing posts?” In this case, I would recommend doing some spring cleaning on your social media accounts – paying attention to what is viewable from the public. Your future self will thank you!
Bad resumes: Most colleges today require students to take a course on how to craft their resumes. Believe it or not, the way your resume looks and the way it’s written does truly matter! For the appearance, make sure you are considering the job or field you are in. A corporate accounting resume is going to look very different from a creative graphic designer’s. Your resume is often the first introduction of yourself, so make sure you spend the time and effort making sure your resume is on point. As for the experience section, a hiring manager will be discouraged if they see a candidate who has had many jobs within a short time period (unless they are jobs while in school). I’ve learned this is called being a “job-hopper” and doesn’t look good. If you’ve had lots of jobs, clarify your reason for leaving or if the job was seasonal or an internship during school. Make it easy for the hiring manager or recruiter to understand your job changes and assure them you’ll be a solid employee that they can count on!
Looking for jobs in this day and age can be difficult. Trust me, I know from first-hand experience. These basic mistakes are factors that make getting a job more difficult but are easy to fix! Clean up your social presence, update your resume & be serious about your job applications, and you’ll land your dream job in no time!
