When it comes to job hunting, most of us have our basic rules down pat, like dressing our best or formatting ready answers to basic interview questions. We've had most of them drilled into our system by our parents, educators, and our own personal experiences.
But not all rules are written in stone, especially if you're after a job that requires originality and a certain fresh outlook at the nature of work. CNN.com and Career Builder lists valid exceptions to the rules of job hunting, which can even help you stand out from the long list of applicants racing to the post with you.
1. Keep your resume to one page
Do so if you're an entry-level applicant with one or a few years of experience. You don't need to write irrelevant fillers like the awards you won in grade school.
Break it if your kilometric achievements, which you've attained all through five and more years of experience, can beef up your profile and assure the company that you're the person they need.
2. Don't apply for a company on a hiring freeze
But talk to someone who can tell you more about the company and try to build a network from it. There will come a time when contacts from your dream company may help earn you an entrance ticket.
3. Keep your resume simple and free of frills
Break it if you're applying for a creative position such as graphic design. For jobs that depend on visuals, a fancy-looking resume may set you apart from the others.
4. Don't apply for a job for which you have no experience
You can still go for the job if the employers have no problem teaching you the skills for the position. All you need to possess are your "soft skills" like teamwork and work attitude.
5. Use your "marketing" voice and spiel
Break it because it makes you sound generic and scripted. Try to think of the interviewer instead, and focus on what he or she would love to hear from a prospective employee. CNN advises talking about your passion, drive, energy, and ability to connect with people if you are talking to the sales manager, for example. If an HR personnel is interviewing you, it might help to emphasize your value and role when it comes to teamwork.
6. Never badmouth your previous employer
You can only do this if the reasons were factual (and make sure it's factual, not personal) and contributed to your resignation from the previous job. Be honest about the situation, but try to turn it into a positive statement such as, "I need to have a trusting relationship with my boss."
7. Avoid typos at all costs
Now this is one rule you can't break, even if the job doesn't require you to have impeccable grammar and spelling skills. A survey by Robert Half International found that 84 percent of executives get turned off with one or two typos in a resume, while 47 said one error could ruin anyone's chance.
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