10 Tips for Keeping It Professional When Job Searching

10 Tips for Keeping It Professional When Job Searching10 Tips for Keeping It Professional When Job SearchingSometimes an bewerbungsinterview can feel more like a conversation with a friend than a professional screening of your candidacy for employment. Maybe you meet your interviewer for a coffee or cocktail. Perhaps he or she is around your age or a friend of a friend. You could interview in a casual office where the colleagues friendly rapport is extended all around. Regardless, its always important to stay professional- elend just during your interviews, but throughout your entire job search experience. From how you communicate with recruiters to how you conduct yourself in interviews, keep in mind that professionalism is always key. 10 Tips for Keeping It Professional When Job Searching Its easy to get too comfortable in a laid-back environment, but its important to stay on top of your game. Here are 10 ways to do just that. Avoid TMI. Dont be tempted to share TMI- too much i nformation- even if your interviewer does. Say youre in an early Monday morning interview, and your interviewer complains of a rough weekend and an enduring hangover. In a case like this, its absolutely best to sympathize with I hope you start to feel better soon, instead of empathizing with a Yeah, man, me too. Similarly, dont offer up irrelevant personal information. Your interviewer doesnt need to know about your recent break-up, your newest girlfriend or your fight with your roommates. Dont be a creep If youre going to stalk your potential boss or interviewer online, do it carefully. Dont connect with his or her personal profile on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, and dont like anything. Engage professionally on LinkedIn instead, or connect with the companys online profiles.Use proper grammar, not acronyms. When youre communicating with potential employers online or in text, use proper grammar, and dont abbreviate. Thank you is a lot more powerful than Thx. Along the same lines, dont use emojis in initial communications, even if youre trying to be nice or funny. Compose professional emails. Even if the person youre corresponding with is super-casual while emailing, you should be the one to keep it professional. Always use appropriate greetings (Dear Ms. Brown or Hi Ms. Brown is preferable to Hey or Whats up) and closings (Thank you, Sincerely, or Best are three go-to options) and make sure your email address is appropriate for the workplace.Develop a personal rapport, but dont go too far. Its important to develop a rapport with potential bosses and coworkers. Youre more likely to be hired if your interviewer likes you as a person. But, be professional in how you attain this personal rapport. Its fine to bond with some laughter or chatting about positive, work-appropriate and non-controversial topics, but, avoid the Three Ps, which are politics, profanity, and poking fun. You never know who you might accidentally offend. Mind your social media presence. If y oure sharing your social media profiles with recruiters or your online presence is viewable to the public, keep it clean. Be mindful of your usernames, what youre posting, what youre tagged in, what you like or share, and what profile picture you use. Employers notice everything.Use appropriate channels of communication. Only reach out to employers via methods they suggest. If they say dont call, dont call.If they say dont come in and drop your resume off, dont come in and drop your resume off.Along the same lines, even if you dig up a personal email address, social media profile, cell phone number or address, mind your boundaries and only contact them via approved channels. Act appropriately at a cafe, bar or restaurant interview. Treat an interview over food or drink in the same way you would treat an interview in an office. Listen carefully, pay attention to your interviewer and how you answer questions and dont overindulge on alcohol. Be mindful of how you interact with others a round you while in the presence of your interviewer. Dont be rude to your server or hit on the waitress, for example.Dont make jokes on your cover letter or resume. While you can express your personal sense of humor to an extent, dont go too far making jokes on your cover letter or resume. Listing Netflix bingeing as a hobby or beer drinking as a skill wont get you the job. Dont be a slob. Even when the company is casual and theres no dress code anywhere in sight, take it up a notch or two when youre interviewing. You dont need to (and shouldnt) wear a suit in a dressed-down workplace, but do dress like you want the job and not like youre stopping by between running errands and going to the gym. Casual Doesnt Mean Unprofessional Keep in mind that casual, as many workplaces are, doesnt mean unprofessional. Thats especially true when youre job searching. After you get the job, you can tailor your communications and behavior to fit the job and your new employer.In the interim, keep ing it professional is the best way to go.