If you’ve ever filled out a profile online for a job site, you may have noticed that it has a layout that seems familiar. Maybe it’s because the website promises to match you with a compatible job. Or because it asks you about your hobbies, ideal job, employment history and so on. Maybe it’s because you get asked for a picture and a tag line to go along with your user name. Whatever it is, eventually we all come to realize that job seeker profile sites are repurposed dating sites.
There has already been a post on this blog about the dating-employment connection, so this one will focus more on the common mistakes that users make on both job and dating profile sites.
The first mistake that most people make comes with creating silly user names. If you’re going to go with something other than a permutation of your name, at least pick something that’s related to your career or interests. And try to avoid using numbers; it makes you seem more original and/or professional. So HotAndSexy567 would not be a good choice for either.
But bad writing can do much more harm than using a silly handle on the site. When you’re writing a brief bio of yourself, starting off with things like “I usually never do this…” or “Friends and co-workers would say I’m…” or using sentence fragments (“Hard worker. Likes a challenge.”) don’t help you stand out. Would you go up to a potential mate or employer and say, “Hi. If you asked my friends about me, they would say I’m polite, dedicated and punctual”? Write your bio like you were telling someone about yourself in a conversation. And if you do go up to people and say that, you might want to rethink your dating and employment strategy.
You should also avoid using the applications and widgets on the site that don’t help you reach your goal. Sure, you can add your Twitter feed, set mobile connectivity, add in background themes and so on, but what’s the point? Unless any of these features get you any closer to finding a significant other or gainful employment, you’re just postponing what you’re there to do in the first place. Focus on your goal and only use the add-ons that will actually help you.
Lastly, you should make sure that you’re going after people and professions for whom (or which) you would be a good fit. If you don’t have the education or experience to match the requirements for a job, you probably won’t get it even though you think the company looks nice and there’s a nice salary involved. Similarly, if your interests, hobbies, relationship goals and beliefs are the polar opposites of someone else’s, there’s no reason for you to pursue them on the dating site, even if you think they look cute. In both job and relationship websites, you have the chance to find something or someone who matches your specific criteria – you don’t need to settle or waste your time with vocations (or people) that don’t really interest you.
When it comes to romance and employment, there are a lot of similarities. So if you don’t know whether to apply for the job, think about what you would do in your dating life. And if you don’t know whether to ask someone out, think about what you would do in your work life. You’d be surprised how much this can help you achieve personal and professional success.
