Job Seekers Beware: Avoid the Common Tricks and Traps in Job Searches

A job search can be grueling enough without having to worry about potential pitfalls along the path. There are the obvious ones to avoid, such as a poorly written resumé or an unprofessional attitude during an interview. The most nefarious trap, the one that even seasoned job seekers fall prey to, is how they address the matter of why they are looking for a new job in the first place. This can be a complete dealbreaker, leaving you wondering what went wrong.

You can have all the experience in the world, be a rainmaker and all that, but employers will always take careful stock of how you answer this query. It's akin to showing up for a blind date looking like you just got out of bed. And that's all a job interview is, a blind date where each side is feeling out the other. Potential bosses try to get a handle on your motivations, whether you're more interested in what their company can do for you rather what you can do for them. Even though you may have a couple of strikes against you as pertains to your work experience, you could still hit a home run (or at the least a triple) if you navigate this minefield correctly.

It's an ironclad guarantee that during an interview you will be asked why you have left or are leaving your current job. The answer you give may well set the tone for the entire interview, since an employer will looking to see whether you are a team player, a problem-solver, or rather a problem-maker. Should the interviewer detect any trace of this, your chances of success will sink faster than the Titanic. When you are posed with this question, you need to have well-rehearsed answers that you have thought out in advance.

If your resume shows a history of short-term jobs, you need to address this right or risk being labeled a job hopper. No employer is going to want to invest the time in training and acclimating someone who has a reputation for jumping ship in the middle of the cruise. You need to convince your potential new boss that you can produce results and fit in well in their workplace, or you will have lost the battle before you've begun.

We've all had jobs where we felt under-appreciated or outright treated like a second class citizen. Underpaid and overworked is the traditional clarion call of the entire workforce. Perhaps you didn't get along with some of your co-workers. Maybe you found the work you performed unstimulating and boring. This can happen to any of us, but just because it occurred to you in the past doesn't mean you should dwell on that when interviewing for a new position. Just as on the dating scene, no one wants to hear about negativity as it relates to previous relationships. Past baggage is a major turn-off. Do this and you risk being labeled high-maintenance and that will loom large with your prospective new boss.

What you need to do is be proactive and anticipate being quizzed on why you left or are leaving a job. It will happen as sure as the sun will rise. You can avoid this pothole by steering deftly around the question, avoiding any dour comments about your past or current work and instead bringing a positive attitude to your answers. Tell your interviewer that you see your prior work as having added to your skills and knowledge of the workplace, but that you feel you're ready to climb the next rung on your career ladder. You're seeking to find a job where you can be a difference maker, and bring a can-do attitude that produces results for both you and your new employer.

In today's fast-paced job market, you have to look at an interview the same way you did as with a semester final in college. You must be well prepared, ready with positive and affirmative answers to address some ofthe bumps in the road of your career path. Be your own Indiana Jones, and know the traps and pitfalls that lie ahead and what you need to do steer clear of them. Do this and your chances of a successful job search will rise dramatically.