Forbes’ recent list of ten mistakes committed by 20-something job seekers is a short compendium of things to avoid on your job search. With a large amount of early-20s jobseekers struggling to find work, the list highlights some of the worst behaviour of today’s young professionals in searching for a job.
Topping the ten-point list, in first place, is ‘acting entitled.’ The writer lists a former intern that decided to leave their job early to attend a horse riding lesson, assuming that it would be accepted by his employer. The faux pas is one of many committed by jobseekers in the current ultra-competitive employment market.
Other mistakes made by young jobseekers include starting the process too late after graduating from university. Many jobseekers begin searching for jobs after they’ve finished university instead of searching for internships and opportunities as they attend classes.
A mistake that’s illustrative of different thinking between generations is the lack of utilisation of the alumni network by 20-somethings. Young professionals rarely use their parents’ connections in order to find job opportunities, even though they can be a useful source of new contacts and openings.
Finally, a serious issue that many young jobseekers face is a Facebook page or other social media profile that doesn’t reflect upon their best elements. Many jobseekers fail to take into account that employers can view their social media presence and design it to appeal to their peers instead of potential employers.
For young jobseekers, the solution is fairly simple – eradicate ‘entitled’ behaviour, begin looking for opportunities as early in your education as possible, and clean up your social media presence. As well as this, young jobseekers should show respect for interviewers and ‘gatekeepers,’ as well as respecting generational differences.
