Common Mistakes Millennials Make That Lose Them The Job

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Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing some potential interns for According to Brittney. Even with a part-time job, this blog takes up a lot of my free time. There is also so much more I want to do, but with writing, social media, and working at home with a cat. Sometimes, the things I want to do just don’t get done.

Obviously, this is a bummer for me because I love this blog and want my ideas to come to light. So, that’s when I decided to hire an intern. Think you might have what it takes? You can apply on Indeed.com.

Anyway, while reviewing resumes and making some tough choices, I’ve noticed some pretty big mistakes. I’ve never been the person who hires before, but some of the resumes I’ve received make me a little worried for us.

So, here’s some of the mistakes I’ve seen that made me instantly push the reject button. Hopefully, you won’t make these mistakes in the future!

Not Proofreading

I can honestly say that I am terrible at this. When I write something, I often don’t look at it again (I’m trying to work on this, I swear!). The one place where I don’t let this happen is my resume and cover letter. I reread my resume like I’m interviewing myself.

You could be a stellar candidate, but if you’ve got a mistake, that’s usually the end of your chances.

I had the pleasure of reading a cover letter for my blog that told me all about how their skills would benefit another company. Really? This is a marketing internship where writing is a crucial skill to have. You shouldn’t be copying and pasting your cover letter, but at least change the company names.

Not Researching the Company You Want to Work For

I know that the struggle is real and that we are all looking for good pay, benefits, and some kind of health insurance. But, if you’re applying for a job, you have to realize that you are applying to someone’s baby. My blog is my baby. I don’t want anyone near it unless they care for it’s well-being.

If you know nothing about my blog and write a cover letter about your background in history, I will not be impressed. It takes almost no time to go to the website and go to the about page. Even if you know nothing about the field, you can at least pretend because of this great thing called “The Internet” where information is literally at your finger tips (Sorry for the small rant but we’re talking about my baby).

Relying only on School for Experience

One thing that I had the harsh reality of learning after college is that college meant close to nothing when it came to the job search. Employers weren’t that impressed with my degree or my entry-level job.

When I started interning and finding my own experiences, that’s when employers began taking notice in me. I’ve even been offered an interview solely on my blog experience. So, what are you going to do?

Start looking for internships, volunteer work, or anything in your field that is an addition to your education and work experience. Everyone has a degree, but not everyone is on the board of a non-profit or running their own freelance. Extra curriculars are still important after college.

Winging It

This mistake is actually from my own mistakes. I’ve never gotten any job that I didn’t prepare for. For my current job, I took countless notes, performed mock interviews with friends, and asked for advice from anyone who’d give it.

In the end, all that preparation is what got me the job. For months, I’d just figure that it’d come to me in the moment. It won’t and it will sound unprepared. So, take the time to go over what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it.

Not Thinking You Deserve the Job

When you’re just starting out and have little experience, it’s easy to turn to negative talk. “I’m not qualified enough,” “There is no one they will hire me,” are perfect examples of how we psych ourselves out and push us out of the race without even trying.

The best thing I ever did was really believe that I deserved the job I was applying for and really wanted. I had to believe I was qualified enough and that they would hire me. Guess what happened? They did. Confidence is always key.

One way I kicked a lot of my doubts is by reading these awesome career books. I recommend each and every one!

I hope these tips make you think before you take the “spray and pray” method with your resume. Trust me, it almost never works! Have any tips to land a job? Comment below!

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