Learning from the mistakes of others is the best way to learn. I think it’s beneficial in everyday life and it’s absolutely critical for someone in the job search process. When a typo can get your resume thrown away, you have to take advantage of the errors of the people that came before you to have a shot at your dream job. With that in mind, I decided to create a short list of mistakes that should never be made again.
Listed below are ten crucial mistakes that can kill your job search and leave you wondering about what happened. I labeled them the “Top 10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job”. Some of the mistakes were made by yours truly but most mistakes were those I witnessed and vowed never to repeat. In any case, you have the opportunity to learn a great deal from the missteps and miscues of others. So read, laugh and learn in order to keep yourself in the hunt for your dream job.
Top 10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job:
10. Your email address has "sexy", "buns" or "stud" in it. Having a questionable email address may suggest that you have questionable character. Either that or you’re just too lazy to spend 30 seconds getting a free Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo account. I know you may have had the same email address for years but now is the time to change. Go with something basic like your name. Or, to stand out in the right way, you can create an email address related to the job you want. Who wouldn’t hire the accountant at ILoveNumbers@???.com or the salesperson at DoubleQuota@???.com?
9. Your outgoing voicemail message has a soundtrack to it. Remember when you fell in love with that Michael Jackson song and wanted to share it with the world. Well, that time is over. No one wants to hear 5 minutes of Beat It or Thriller before they can leave you a message. And if you think an instrumental is alright, think again. Listening to jazz in your car is nice but listening to jazz on someone’s voicemail is creepy. For your own good, kill the background vocals and make sure your outgoing voicemail message is as professional as you want people to think you are.
8. You dropped off your resume while wearing your exercise clothes. No one wants to put on a power business suit just to drop off a resume. You probably say to yourself, It will only take me a second so who cares what I look like? Well, if you want to get a job then you should care what you look like at all times. You don’t have to dress up but you should show that you care about your appearance. Many resumes have been flagged, or trashed, because of the appearance of the person who submits it. So go professional or go home.
7. You called more than 3 times to confirm the interview. It’s very important to be in the right place at the right time but that doesn’t mean you have to stalk the receptionist with a series of calls. Just take notes the first time. You can’t afford to leave the company with the feeling that you can’t remember basic facts (like 9:00am) or follow basic instructions (like “park in the adjacent lot”).
6. You loaded up on scents from Bath & Body Works before the interview.
This is not intended to be negative towards Bath & Body Works. I actually think it’s funny when people smell like cucumbers and boysenberry. The problem comes when you’re locked in a small conference room with a fruity-smelling applicant for an hour. This is a no-win situation. When you leave the interviewer lightheaded from inhaling too many scents, they can’t assess your qualifications and they won’t hire you.
5. You didn’t load up on soap, breath mints or floss before the interview. This one is just basic hygiene. Everyone has bad breath once in a while but when you carry it into an interview it says that you are terribly unaware of things (or smells) that are right in front of your face. Get a breath mint, get the job.
4. Your MySpace page (or Facebook profile) has your summer beach pictures on it. The impact of social media on a job search cannot be overstated. When you post pictures of yourself at the beach or at a bar, you make your personal life accessible to every potential employer. Nothing good can come of this. Even if the pictures are innocent, the employer can’t tell whether you’re drinking your fifth glass of vodka or your first Sprite.
3. Your friend’s MySpace page (or Facebook profile) has your summer beach pictures on it. Remember the saying, “If you show me your friends, I’ll show you your future.” The people who want to hire you know that this saying is true. Why else would companies give bonuses to current employees for recommending their friends? So be careful when someone points a camera phone at you on the weekends. The next step is being tagged on Facebook and immortalized online.
2. Your salary demands include access to a Prius so that you can help save Mother Earth. This is just silly. Save Mother Earth on your own time and save the salary demands for after the employer brings it up. When you do talk about salary, make sure your request is based on what you can bring to the job, not your personal spending habits or your social beliefs.
1. You referred to the receptionist as "Honey", "Dear" or "Babe". This one sounds obvious but it is a classic example of how people kill their chances of getting a job simply because they do something to offend the front desk staff. Remember, these are the people that process applications, setup interviews, 
distribute interview packets to hiring managers and handle communication between you and the company. Do you really want to offend them in any way? It’s like you’re asking for your application to be lost or you’re begging to get the worst interview slot. Take my advice. Treat the receptionist, and everyone else, with respect and keep yourself in the game.
That’s it. The Top 10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job. In reality there are easily 100 more reasons but you get the idea. Countless others have made the mistakes that you read about so there’s no reason for you to make them. Just focus your job search on what you really want and be sure to put your best foot forward at all times. That’s the best way to avoid silly mistakes and keep yourself on the path to your dream job.
By Philip H. Page, Jr.
Author of Getting Up AGAIN – Surviving Unemployment and Pursuing Destiny
You know I look forward to your post and this one didn’t disappoint! Not enough soap, that’s so true! This should be posted in every office, throughout the USA! Love you sir, keep it coming!