Are you disqualifying yourself from your next job interview?
When I was looking for my first job back in 1997, the internet was still a novelty to most people. Websites were slow to load, everyone had a Hotmail email account, and funny joke emails were the order of the day. When applying for a job, your printed resume and its accompanying cover letter were the only tools you had to get you noticed. Your interview was your first chance to make a positive impression.
Today, it is all too easy to make a bad first impression, without even realizing it. What we take for granted as popular culture, does not always translate into the right habits and attributes for getting hired, or even getting a first interview. Very often, a potentially good candidate may disqualify him or herself without ever realizing it. We hear it all the time; ‘I applied for a job and never heard back from the employer’. To avoid unintentionally excluding yourself from the ‘potential candidates’ list, here are some things that most HR professionals frown upon:

• Poor Grammar: Whether you are applying for a job as a cashier or an office manager, there really is no longer any excuse for typographical errors, poor punctuation or bad grammar. If those squiggly red or blue underscores failed to grab your attention when you were typing up your application letter, then it says a lot about your attention to detail. It is always a good idea to have someone else review your letter and resume, and not necessarily your bestie or BFF.
• Text-speak: Back when cellular phones did not have predictive text, auto-correct or full keyboards, you could be forgiven for typing ‘l8r’ instead of ‘later’, or ‘cuz’ instead of ‘because’. However it is all too common among recruiters to find text-speak sneaking into cover letters and resumes. This is completely inexcusable, and is a reflection of how seriously you are taking your job application. Again, what is acceptable among your peers in social settings, is not always acceptable in the workplace, far less when trying to make a good first impression.
• Email addresses: After your mobile contact number, your email address is the next point of contact between you and a potential employer. Your choice of email address can make or break your job application. The ‘bigboygangster@yahoo.com’ and ‘sexybaddis69@gmail.com’ email addresses seldom get taken seriously, no matter how strong the cover letter or resume. The most attention you will likely get is a round of laughter as your email address is shared around the office. Email addresses are FREE. Do yourself a favor and create a simple, proper-sounding address that you can use for job applications.
• Social Media: Most companies will do a reference or background check, before the make an offer of employment. However, it is very common nowadays for recruiters to do a quick google or social media search of your name, and see what turns up. It is naïve to think your social media profiles are private, and that a prospective employer will not have a quick peek. What you post on the internet, is ultimately a reflection of your personality. The old saying, ‘show me your friends and I’ll show you who you are’, applies here. ‘Show me your Facebook profile, and I will know who you really are’, is now the norm for recruiters nowadays. Most of what we post on social media is all fun and games, but the reality is you are projecting an image of who you are. Consider that the next time you upload a profile photo of you and your best buddies at the club, embracing a bottle of vodka, especially if for example, you just told the interviewer that you seldom drink, so their company car is in safe hands.
• Linkedin is an excellent resource for creating a positive social media footprint. Do not treat it as another version of Facebook. Use it as your online resume, where prospective employers can have a look at your job history and accomplishments. As with other social media sites, your profile photo will say a lot about you. Put on a nice shirt or top, and have someone take a decent head shot of you with a smartphone. No fancy backgrounds, trendy hats, duck faces or anything else that will turn off an HR recruiter.

These points may seem trivial but the reality is that it is very easy for employers to pre-screen you for a job without you even realizing it. As long as you post information to the internet, you are giving up any privacy you may think you have. Think twice before posting other people’s views and opinions, photos and videos. Take a little extra care in crafting your job application, and be mindful of everything from your email address to what you choose to wear when you do get that call for a first interview.

Good Luck and Take Your Next Step!