SPARTANBURG, SC – 7News talked with Melissa Huntley, who just took a course in what to do when meeting a prospective employer.
“Don’t chew gum, always be respectful, eye contact, it’s always good to have a nice handshake. Always have your resume ready and clean and prepared.” Huntley said.
We talked with job development coordinator, Selena Smith, about the mistakes many people make when applying for jobs.
“From what I hear from employers is the number one thing is in fact people, they embellish on their resumes. They may lie about how long they were actually at an employers working, they may add job details that they didn’t actually do. So when they call for references they find out the information is false, so you never want to be dishonest on your resume.” Smith said.
While lying on a resume is a huge mistake people make, there are several other mistakes to watch out for, as well.
Some of these mistakes include:
- typos in your resume
- spamming company employees with your resume
- mismatched resume and social media profile
“Luckily, my resume goes along very well with my social media, but I can understand because I know a lot of people that do a lot of under-the-table type of work and that is prevalent in their social media.” Huntley said.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when applying for jobs is relying too heavily on online postings.
Career experts say it is much more effective to network.
Also, keep in mind that employers often have a person in mind before they even post a job.
Huntley, who wants to be a zoologist, plans to do some networking and reach out to some key players in her field.
Remember, the trick to successful networking is to be a big listener rather than a talker.
Also, experts say don’t ask for them to help you get a job, but rather ask for their feedback.
And above all, be grateful.
