I’ve been reviewing applicants for our new Account Manager position, and I thought I’d share some of the lowlights. (Highlights I’ll keep to myself until I hire someone.)
- If you describe yourself as detail-oriented make sure you don’t have three grammatical errors in the same paragraph.
- Trainees are not "inspiring", they’re "aspiring." You should be inspiring.
- Flash is made by Adobe. Macromedia would be an acceptable answer, but not "Micro Media."
- If a company asks for a cover letter, include one. If you don’t have one, write it.
- Don’t tell me you’re a FrontPage expert. (O.K., now I’m just being snarky.)
I’m not doing this to make fun of people. If I did, I’d include names and contact information. Rather, see this as a cautionary tale.
Also, one final parting piece of advice: tailor your resume to the company’s position. I understand that takes longer, but you’ll stand out as an applicant. When cover letters use some of the same language that was in the ad, I know this person has thought about the position. When they mention our blog or jobs we’ve done, I know they’ve done their homework.
