Making a stellar impression during the hiring process is essential if you want to land a position. That’s why avoiding specific missteps is critical. If you make the wrong move, you might reduce your chances of landing a job significantly. In some cases, a single error may even cost you the position outright.

Fortunately, by knowing what hiring managers dislike, you can make smarter choices. Whether you’re looking for long-term positions or entry-level contract work, here are six things that hiring managers hate most.

1. Spelling Mistakes on Resumes

While a spelling mistake seems like a small issue, they typically irk hiring managers. It makes your resume seem sloppy and suggests you lack attention to detail. In some cases, spelling issues may also alter the meaning of the content of your resume, leading to confusion that was legitimately avoidable.

2. Lying During the Hiring Process

Dishonesty is almost guaranteed to cost you a job opportunity. Whether discovered during the hiring process or after landing a position, lying on your resume or during an interview can cost you a job. Many companies have policies specifically relating to dishonest applications, often leading to immediate terminations once you’re caught.

Typically, the size of the lie is irrelevant. Whether it’s fudging an employment date slightly, implying you have a degree when you didn’t finish the program, or claiming achievements that aren’t yours, it can all cost you.

3. Parents Calling on Behalf of Candidates

Few things get under a hiring manager’s skin like a parent calling on behalf of their candidate child. Even if the parent’s intentions are good, it makes an incredibly bad impression. The hiring manager may assume that the parent will remain overly involved, which is something they don’t want with new hires. They might also question whether the candidate is capable of handling their responsibilities on their own, which can also cost you the job.

4. Inappropriate Social Media Posts

An increasing number of hiring managers will check your social media, including any publicly accessible personal accounts. If they find any inappropriate posts, they may decide right then and there that you’re a poor match for the company. That’s particularly true if there’s content discussing or showing illegal activity, racism, sexism, or anything in those veins.

5. Leaving Your Phone on During Interviews

Ringing phones or notifications chimes are incredibly distracting, particularly during an interview. Plus, leaving your phone on can be viewed as disrespectful, as though you don’t think the hiring manager deserves your full attention.

If you actually check your phone after hearing the sound, that’s even worse. Again, it suggests that you don’t believe the meeting is important enough to put everything else on hold for a moment, which will almost always hurt your chances of getting the job.

6. Badmouthing Past Employers, Managers, or Colleagues

Talking negatively about past employers, managers, or colleagues is guaranteed to raise a hiring manager’s eyebrow. Usually, they’ll picture you saying similar things about them in the future, and they’ll often wonder whether the issue is actually the other company or people or if the real problem is you. In any case, it’s not going to do you any favors.

Ultimately, hiring managers hate all of the things above, so it’s crucial to avoid them during your job search. If you’d like to learn more or are seeking out entry-level contract work, the team at Alpha Consulting wants to hear from you. Contact us today.