Finding a new job can be a nerve-racking experience.
From crafting your ideal résumé to acing the interview, there are a lot of opportunities to screw things up.
To help you avoid letting bad habits shine through at the worst moments, we asked experts to highlight some of the least professional behavior you could demonstrate that will almost certainly cost you a job.
Here’s what you could be doing all wrong that makes you look unprofessional in your job search:
SEE ALSO: 25 annoying things on your résumé that make hiring managers cringe
Being sloppy
Your résumé is your first contact with HR or recruiters, Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility expert and the author of “Don’t Burp in the Boardroom,” tells Business Insider. And typos, grammar mistakes, and formatting issues will land it in the “no” pile within a few seconds.
“If your résumé is sloppy, they’ll assume you are, too,” she says.
Not doing your homework
“Employers take note of candidates that are educated on the responsibilities of the job opening in question and on the company itself,” Rosemary Haefner, chief human-resources officer for CareerBuilder, tells Business Insider. “This demonstrates that you made the decision to apply for the job after considering the facts, rather than out of desperation.”
Trying too hard to garner attention
If you want your résumé to stand out, for instance, “let it be because of its content and format,” Randall says. “Using colored paper, a multitude of fonts, or even including confetti with your resume will attract attention, but not the right kind.”
