5. Leaving references off of your resume

I'm not sure who told young grads to put "references upon request" on their resumes, but please don't send me your resume without references included. Don't tell me that if the hiring company is really interested, they will request the references. For most companies, they just don't have time. If you send me a resume without references, it gets thrown away. It doesn't matter how good the rest of the resume is, I consider it incomplete.

4. Being unprofessional

This may be common sense to some, but you may be surprised how often it doesn't appear to be. Being professional covers a lot of things, but they are all simple. Don't chew gum at an interview. Don't arrive late to an interview. Dress appropriately. That doesn't mean you have to wear a suit, but don't wear a ratty t-shirt. Sit up straight and look make eye contact with your potential employer. Speak up. Don't mumble. Don't gossip in an interview, for example bad mouthing former employers or coworkers. Stay on topic. I do think most of these things are common sense, but perhaps at the last minute, you might forget, so before you go into an interview, ask yourself, "Am I presenting myself as a professional?"

3. Arrogance

When you write a cover letter, come into an interview or meet a potential employer a little humility goes along way. This doesn't mean be falsely humble, it is okay to know and talk about your strengths. Being confident in your strengths is not the same a arrogance. Arrogance is belittling and lifts you above others without need. I actually received a cover letter once that said I would be stupid not to hire him. That's arrogance. Arrogance also comes through when if you're not willing to do someone else's job because it's not in your job description. Today, employers want - scratch that, need people that are willing to contribute to the team effort. The success of your team has to come before your personal goals or preferences. If your attitude is, "I only do ____" then an employer will probably pick that up in an interview, so check your pride at the door and chances are you'll actually get to do _____.

2. Know the industry basics

No matter what type of job you're seeking, you need to know the basics about that industry. You need to show the potential employer that you know your stuff, more importantly, that you know their stuff. My experience comes from the graphics/web/marketing industry, but these examples should give you the gist of the kind of information I'm talking about. For Splattered Ink, you need to know about CMYK, RGB and spot colors, about the printing industry and some basic technical specifications. You should know some website layout concepts. You should know the difference between kerning and leading. You need to know the actual difference in vector and raster, not just the programs that produce them. You should even know a little about embroidery and sign design.

Seems like this is common sense, right? I guess not. I've had on multiple occasions an applicant not know the difference between CMYK and RGB or the difference in standard print and web resolution. When I asked them why they didn't know about these foundational principals, they said it wasn't covered where they were going to school. Don't even get me started on that soap box. So, when you're ready to start applying, find a friend who is already in the industry that will tell you the basics. You need real world input. It'll be worth more than you know.

1. Don't send your resume "Postage Due"

This is kind of for fun, but its also serious. If you are seeking a job and filling snail mail boxes with your resume or samples, make sure you pay the postage. I recently got some samples from an applicant that arrived postage due -$3.77! I paid it thinking it was some photos from a client. Admittedly, this got my attention, but I don't think that's what is meant by, "be memorable". Get a postage meter, or ask a postal worker how you should send things. I'm sure they'll help you. When I told the unwitting applicant, they were horrified, apologized profusely and even paid me back. It's not a big deal and I hope if you ever read this, you know there's no hard feelings. This is just a story worth telling! Thanks for the fodder!

The point here is that if you're trying to get a job, every detail counts. Make sure you are prepared, that you double check your postage requirement, address, company name, and even try to get the correct recipient name at that company.

I'm sure many of you have some awesome applicant horror stories. Share them on twitter and mention @splatteredink