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10 Worst IT Job Hunting Mistakes

What's your worst job hunting mistake?

3. Not Customizing Your Cover Letter

Perhaps one of the most common job seeking mistakes IT professionals make is failing to customize the cover letter for each job. As tempting as it is to cut and paste your cover letter, substituting only the appropriate employer name and position title, don’t. Hiring managers can sniff out a cut-and-paste cover letter from a mile away. Besides, it’s in your interest to tailor cover letters, and highlight your past experiences that are directly related to the job. That’s what makes you stand out!

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Using a cut-and-paste cover letter is risky for a lot of reasons, most importantly because it’s easy to make mistakes, like forgetting to switch names and titles. For example, if you’re applying for an IT position at a government agency, you might want to double check that you changed the “Department of Energy” for “Department of Defense.” After all, if you can’t be bothered to pay attention to details in looking for a job, what’s the guarantee that you’ll pay attention once you get the job?

4. Using an Unprofessional Email Address

Think your fun email address is memorable and personable? Think again.

Anarchy212@gmail.com or starwarzfan4life@aol.com doesn’t exactly give off the impression of a professional looking for a job in the IT securities field. A silly email address makes potential employers think you aren’t serious and that you may act similarly on the job.

Stick with a simple email address that contains your name. Professionalism matters! Save Gandalf_99@yahoo.com for your friends and family, if you must.