Here are five very common mistakes:
1. Don’t be annoying. Annoying may seem a bit harsh but I don’t know how else to describe ten e-mails confirming that you received the first e-mail. By pursuing a hirer or recruiter too aggressively he will want to give you a shot even less rather than catching his attention.
Career Mistakes
2. Don’t be overconfident. Confidence is healthy and necessary especially in the business world but being overconfident to the point you claim to know everything begs the obvious question, “then why would I hire you, shouldn’t you hire me?” Especially for entry-level positions, this is the wrong attitude. You should be eager to learn more about the industry from those with experience. You send the wrong message by marketing yourself as better than everyone and imply that you are a no-it-all.
3. No long resumes or emails. Resumes should be kept short. I understand that you want to highlight all the qualifications and attributes that make you the right candidate for the job but the people who read your resume are busy and want it written concisely and clearly. For a guide to writing a quality resume see Private Equity Resume. The same applies to emails, I know of people (myself sometimes included) who will stop reading emails because they are epic essays that do not have a clear objective. The best emails are brief and to the point.
Career Mistakes
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