6 simple things you shouldn't overlook in your job search

Job searches can be stressful. Whether already in a position and looking for employment elsewhere, responding to a wide range of job postings, or managing home life, job seekers must balance a number of demands and needs that can take their focus off the search.

When you're applying for a job, your attention pulled in all sorts of directions. It's easy to trip up in these cases: there's a typo in your resume, you addressed the wrong company in your cover letter, a phone number you listed no longer works. Though understandable, these oversights need to be addressed proactively by job seekers.

Here are six things you shouldn't overlook in your job search:

Social media use

While a platform for espousing your own thoughts, active job seekers need to be careful about what they post; meaning, stay away from inflammatory or derogatory content. Employers increasingly look at social media to gain a better understanding of applicants, and you will want to present yourself as an attractive candidate and personality wherever employers are looking.

References

Job seekers should always remember to maintain good relationships with references. After all, these are the people you're depending on to vouch for you late in the process. Always be mindful to check in every so often - if you're not already close - and consider notifying them that you're back in the hunt and they may be receiving calls. Having the correct contact information for references goes without saying.

Interview research

Being prepared for an interview entails far more than just knowing how to market yourself and speak well. Job applicants need to do thorough research on each employer that's contacted them. This can be a hard task to wrangle for job seekers sending their applications out far and wide. One tip to use in such a case is typing up a one-sheet primer for each employer when you're doing company research.

"In addition to being prepared and doing prior research, don't be afraid to ask questions," notes Charlie Szeniawski, Practice Manager for Beacon Hill's Financial Division in Boston. "Job seekers sometimes feel they should have the answers to all the questions in order to win the job. I think this is a common mistake. General preparation is crucial but on a first round interview it is important to gain an understanding of the inner workings of the team you are potentially joining. The second round interview is the time to come prepared with examples as to how your work experience relates to the role they are hiring – the first round is the time to learn as much as possible and the best way to do that is ask lots of questions!"

Data field entry

Having to type your information into different online application data fields multiple times can feel tortuous. However, there's no reason to skip fields entirely just because you're tired or no longer see the value in it. Missing data fields or an incomplete application indicates to a recruiter that perhaps the candidate wasn't really serious in applying. You need to remember to do everything in your power to present yourself as an attractive talent.

Optimized resume

Though you may want to list every achievement you've garnered since the second grade, it's important to keep your resume as brief as you can while giving a full picture of your employment history, talents and accolades - which is much easier said than done. One way to go about this is keeping a static, master resume on file, and then paring it down according to what kind of job or business you're applying to.

Thank you email

"Be sure to send a thank you email after your interviews conclude," says Tristan Marchette, Senior Managing Consultant for Beacon Hill's Technologies Division in Boston. "If you create a well thought-out and heartfelt thank you email reinforcing how the role is a great match that could sometimes be the difference maker in landing a job. Think about it – if the opening has two candidates for the role and both are neck-and-neck, and it's a tough decision for the hiring manager, your thank you email could go a long way and manufacture an offer."

Taking all these points into consideration is vital to your application. But that doesn't mean you have to do it alone. If you're in the job seeking market, the professional recruiters at Beacon Hill can help you along at each point.