Job Hunting Tip #1: Remember Which Jobs For Which You Are Applying

I received an email this week from somebody who was responding to a job listing that we have for a financial analyst. Although the candidate had pretty good experience, he did not have the specific skill set and work history we were seeking. Unlike many employers these days, we try to respond to every resume submission with an email thanking the candidate for their interest in the position but stating that their background and experience are not a good fit for us.

We did just this and received the following response from the candidate:

“I applied for a few positions in Atlanta… Can you specify which one this was for so that I can cross it off of my list?”

NOT GOOD!

If you are applying blindly to every possible position and don’t even know which position to which you are applying, there is a strong likelihood that you won’t get the job. Even worse, you should not admit to a prospective employer that you don’t know what you are doing!

I would not put my money on this candidate landing a job in the commercial real estate industry or, for that matter, in any industry any time soon!