Check your resume for mistakes

Before you hand in a resume to a prospective employer, check it carefully at least three times to look for grammar and spelling errors as well as typos. Make sure that you have tailored your resume to meet the needs of the position you are trying to get. If you are going for an accounting position, be sure to emphasize your accounting experience in previous positions. Your resume should be no longer than one and a half pages, preferably one page.

Tackling the interview challenge

A study done by a California staffing and consulting firm of 1,400 CFOs found that there was broad agreement on the common mistakes made by job seekers. The most common were arriving late for an interview, being uninformed about the company (or worse yet, the position applied for) and arrogant behavior in the interview process. Remember the importance of body language in interviews - a firm handshake, avoiding defensive postures like crossing your arms, making good eye contact and showing some (but not too much) confidence are all important. Your clothes are also important; better overdressed than underdressed.

Answer questions smartly

If you are nervous, it can make you perform badly in an interview. Some even forget the questions they are asked due to this nervousness. You can stop this from being a problem by being well prepared for the interview. Be sure to research the company and the position you are applying for thoroughly and remember that it's better to admit that you don't know the answer to a question than to give a poor answer. Tell the interviewer that you will get back to them with an answer. Make a point of playing up the skills which the advertisement mentions as being needed for the position.

Getting the necessary referrals

Securing a referral from a current employee is one of the best ways to land an interview. Companies receive hundreds of resumes for open positions but 35-60% of these vacancies end up being filled via referrals. If you don't know anyone at the company, ask around your acquaintances to see if any of them know someone there - keep in mind that a referral from an employee will make it much more likely that you will get that job.

Online application

An increasing number of companies have begun to ask prospective employees to submit their applications or resumes via the web. This means that you must make a good first impression not in person but with an email. Your email is thus very important and should be treated with the seriousness you would apply to any piece of business writing. When applying online, remember the following:

Complete your sentences and do not use abbreviations.

An email which is very casual may cause a prospective employer to pass you by in favor of an applicant with better email communication skills. Even if you are communicating by email, keep your emails professional.

Get directly to the point

Get to the point. Don't write a story to try to get the employer's interest; they will probably just be annoyed by this and keep looking for candidates who have a more direct approach. Tell the employer what you want and do it in a clear, concise, professional manner.

Getting that dream job can be a bit of a struggle, but keep your eyes on your goal and don't give up. It is better to wait for a while and end up with the job you really want rather than to take a job right away which will leave you unsatisfied. Make the right decision about your future and then act decisively.