The job-hunting process is never without some stress and anxiety, but job seekers can make it easier if they avoid some common mistakes. We’ve talked with representatives from our top-rated resume writing company, and they’ve shared a few of the worst gaffes job hunters can make.

1. Lying On A Resume/Interviews
While we highly recommend using a professional resume writing company to create your resume, it’s crucial that the information you provide to these writers is correct and true. It’s just too easy for a hiring manager to discover the truth, and it’s easy to understand why someone would be hesitant to hire you after you’ve been caught in a lie.

According to hiring managers, some of the most common lies people tell include lying about their level of education or the college from which they graduated or lying about work history.

For instance, if you were fired from a job, you might consider lying about it during an interview. A better idea would be to own the truth and describe why you were fired and spin the situation so that you focus on what you gained from the experience. If you were fired due to incompetence, you might express what steps you’ve taken to improve.

If you were fired because you didn’t get along with your boss, you might talk about how you’ve worked hard to improve your communication skills and conflict resolution skills so that you can be a more effective and valuable employee from this point forward. Resist the urge to talk trash about your boss and co-workers. If it truly was a terrible situation, simply state that it was a difficult situation, and that you are looking forward to working in a positive, energetic environment where you can truly contribute to the company.

People also often lie about their abilities and skills. You might state that you are fluent in a foreign language, when you really only have conversational skills. You might also lie about proficiency with various computer programs. If these programs or the language are essential for the job position, it’s quickly going to become apparent that you don’t possess the needed skills for the job and you could end up fired for these falsehoods.

If you don’t possess all the necessary skills, but still believe you are a great fit for the job, stress that in your cover letter and at job interviews. Discuss the steps you mean to take to ensure that you are up to speed and why you still would be a great choice for the job. This approach is always preferable to lying.

2. Sending Out Impersonal Resumes & Cover Letters
When you send out a resume and cover letter, these should be customized to include the skills listed in the job posting or for the job position. Additionally, the cover letter should be addressed to the hiring managers, so you really need to take the time to find the name of this person.

Sending out a cover letter “to whom it may concern,” definitely doesn’t impress a hiring manager. When you research the position and research the hiring manager or hiring team, this shows that you truly care about your job search and that you aren’t just sending out hundreds of cookie-cutter resumes to tons of different firms.

3. Limiting Your Search To Online Postings
While you certainly will find some great job opportunities posted online, these are just the tip of the iceberg as to what truly is available. Many jobs are never posted, which is why it is so important that you keep building your personal network.

Get that LinkedIn page built and start connecting with friends, co-workers and other business associates. Attend business meetups or join a group relevant to your industry. Keep in mind; networking is not just about what people can do for you; it’s also about what you can bring to the table and making valuable connections.

For instance, imagine that you are at a business function and an executive from a company where you might want to work approaches you and engages in conversation. Perhaps they mention that they will be visiting your hometown, and want some restaurant recommendations. This seems like a fairly unimportant conversation, but if you provide some valuable tips and advice and are friendly and personable, this person will remember you and if a job opportunity comes up; your name might spring to mind.

In addition, if you have several years of professional work experience, it can be smart to talk with a professional recruiter about your job search. Recruiters often have the line on some great job opportunities that aren’t posted online. Companies often will hire a recruiter to find a short list of great job candidates.

4. Failing To Prepare For Interviews
A resume writing company can provide you with a great resume and cover letter, and this certainly can help you score job interviews. However, if you fail to prepare for each interview, this can cost you many opportunities.

Our resume writing company experts have provided us with tons of interview advice, some is fairly easy and some requires a bit of work. The easy components include ensuring that you wear neat, clean and appropriate business attire. Get a haircut and look your best as this sends a positive message to hiring managers but also helps you feel more professional and serious.

Additionally, bring a business tote or briefcase and fill it up with a few pens, a tablet for taking notes and a few copies of your resume. Turn off your phone or leave it in your car, and ensure that you arrive five minutes early for the interview. Showing up late makes a terrible impression, and it’s better to show up 30 minutes early and waste some time in a coffee shop around the corner than to show up frazzled and even one or two minutes late for an interview.

Those are the easy components of the job interview; the harder elements require a bit more work. Before you head to any interview, research the company thoroughly, so that you understand the company goals and mission. It’s also wise to try and research the hiring manager if possible to learn a little bit about the person who will be conducting the interview.

Furthermore, you also need to practice answering interview questions. Practice making eye contact and practice how you sit, as well as working on thoughtful answers to typical interview questions. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel during the interview process.

If you have some tricky issues that you might need to explain, such as being fired or a gap in employment or a difficult work experience, spend extra time preparing some good answers for these tough questions. A good resume writing company might provide career coaching services, and it can be smart to invest in these services, especially if you are new to the workforce or you simply feel like your skills need a bit of polishing.

5. Sending Out A Low-Quality Resume
Previously, we mentioned that it’s a huge mistake to lie on a resume or fail to customize a resume, but those aren’t the only issues that turn off hiring managers. Depending on which survey you read, at least 60% of all hiring managers will throw away your resume if it contains careless errors or typos. You might be a fantastic job candidate, but that one spelling error can kill your chances of getting an interview.

Hiring a resume writing company can ensure that your resume doesn’t contain spelling or grammatical mistakes and that the resume features a consistent, easy-to-read format. However, you do need to double-check your contact information. After all, a resume writer won’t know if your email address or phone number is correct.

It’s also wise to create a professional email address just for your job hunt or business dealings. About 30% of hiring managers admit that they passed over job applicants that either had an inappropriate email address (example: funnygirl29@hotmail) or used the email for their current workplace.

The first issue shows that you don’t take yourself seriously enough to have a professional email address while the second issue showcases that you have no qualms about using company emails and company time to search for a job elsewhere. Neither will inspire a hiring manager to contact you for an interview.

Avoiding these five mistakes can truly help increase your chances of finding a great new job. If you want to get started on the process, the first step is creating that resume and cover letter.

At Top 5 Resume Writers, we’ve compiled a short list of options to help you select the best resume writing company. Our top pick, Resume Writing Group, produced a dynamic, error-free resume that we feel will truly attract the attention of a hiring manager. We highly recommend that you select their service when you purchase your professional resume.

Everyone knows that a great resume can help you win a job interview, but when it comes to winning a job, you’ll need a bit more. The following tips, provided by a top-rated resume writing company, can make the job hunting process a bit easier.

1. Transform Into Your Best Self
What do hiring managers want? They want positive, creative, problem solvers that come to work ready to give it their all every day. So, transform yourself into that type of person right now. Even if you are stuck in a dead-end job that you don’t enjoy, spruce up your appearance and attitude and give it your all. Get into the mindset of a successful employee before you begin your job hunt and become the employee that employers want to hire.

2. Create A PDF
Once you’ve hired a top resume writing company to create your resume, be sure to turn this document into a PDF. If you send it out as a word document, it’s possible that when a hiring manager opens the file, the format might change and, perhaps, look odd. With a PDF, what you see is what you get, and hiring managers will be able to see the same format, fonts and typefaces as you see. It’s a small tip, but one that takes just a few seconds to handle.

3. Add Some Thoughtful Hobbies
In the past, employers were less interested in your life outside the office. Today, learning a little bit about your interests and personality can help them make more informed hiring decisions. You even can add a quirky hobby to the list. For instance, perhaps you might add a section to the resume labeled “Hobbies & Interests.” Here you could list items such as hiking, photography, volunteering at a local animal shelter, travel, etc. as well as something fun and whimsical, such as “Binge-Watching Doctor Who,” “Cheese Making,” or perhaps “Scrabble Competitions.” Obviously, hobbies aren’t as important as your work skills and experience, but it nice to show a bit of personality, as long as it’s not too weird or inappropriate.

4. Think About Your File Name & Contact Information
When you send that PDF of your resume, be sure to create a proper file name. Simply calling “resume” or “my resume” isn’t very helpful. It would be better to use your name and title it “John-Smith-Resume,” so that a hiring manager can find it easily. Additionally, send all business correspondence from a proper business email address, such as JohnSmith@gmail. Don’t use a quirky or inappropriate email such as CutiePie@yahoo or PizzaLover19@gmail.

5. Sign Up For Google Alerts
A top resume writing company knows that a great resume can only take you so far. You also need to be well-prepared for the interview process. Once you have a list of companies where you’d like to send a resume, you definitely need to research each company thoroughly and keep up with current news.

One easy way to see what’s trending would be to sign up for a Google Alert for each company. When a story about that company is posted, Google will send you an email link so that you can keep up on the latest information, which you might then be able to bring up during an interview. When you possess some solid knowledge about a company, you can answer and ask interview questions more thoughtfully.

6. Know How To Describe Yourself
When heading into interviews, you know that each hiring manager inevitably will ask you to tell them a little bit about yourself. This might feel a bit uncomfortable, that is, unless you have an amazing answer for this query. By amazing, we don’t mean a five-minute long brag-fest where you share why you are clearly the most remarkable person ever to grace the earth. Rather, you want to very briefly express why you are interested in the job and what you bring to the table.

For instance, you might begin by stating, “I have three years of experience as a regional sales manager, and I’ve been looking for a more challenging opportunity and this position seemed like an exciting option.” Then you can describe a few examples of what you bring to the table, but don’t simply rehash your resume.

7. Create Your Brand
While social media snafus can cost you a job, social media also can help you win friends and influence people. Create your own blog and write thoughtful posts that relate to your industry or perhaps about workplace productivity in general. Ensure that everything you post on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook is not only workplace-appropriate but also showcases your positive attributes. Constantly update your LinkedIn page, and, if you don’t have one, sign up today. A top resume writing company can provide you with a solid LinkedIn profile, so be sure to take advantage of this service when you purchase a resume.

If you need a great resume writing company, we can help. At Top 5 Resume Writers, we’ve studied a variety of resume companies and have chosen Resume Writing Group as our top pick. They provide their clients with consistent, error-free, dynamic, job-winning resumes, and their resumes include a unique guarantee. If you use their resume and follow their advice, but aren’t hired in 45 days or less, they’ll refund the cost of your resume and give you an additional $100.

We all want a job that inspires us, but finding that amazing job can be tough and getting hired can be even more difficult. With so many people competing for open positions, you need to accentuate what sets you apart from the competition and these six resume writing company secrets might just provide you with the help you need to find a career that keeps you happy for the long haul.

1. Be Selective
Some people send a resume to just one or two companies, while others will send out hundreds of resumes. Your goal should be somewhere in between. You don’t simply want to send out tons of resumes and the just take whatever offer you get. You need to get to know the companies where you send resumes and you need to send resumes out for positions where you really can serve as an asset to the company. During the interview process, ask thoughtful questions that will provide you with information regarding whether or not you will fit well in the organization. If you truly want a satisfying, long-term career, you have to be a bit selective about whatever job offer you accept.

2. Do A Self-Assessment
Before you begin your job search, think about your strengths and weakness, and make a list of all of the attributes – the good, the bad and the ugly. We all have our faults, so take stock of yours and own up to them. Admitting that you need to improve in certain areas is only a bad thing if you take no steps to change your bad habits. During the interview process, you probably will be asked about strengths and weaknesses, and, when it comes to weaknesses, it’s a great idea to list a weak area and then express to the hiring manager how you are taking concrete steps to improve in this area.

3. Find The Hidden Jobs
While many jobs are posted online in fairly obvious and easy-to-find places, there are plenty of jobs that are not posted and you will sell yourself short if you don’t seek out these “hidden” job opportunities. Think about your contacts, and use these resources. They might have a friend of a friend looking for a person with exactly your skill set. They might have a friend who is a contact at one of the top company’s on your list. You also might consider enlisting the services of a recruiter, particularly if you are in search of a senior-level or management position. If you are just finishing up college, don’t forget to use the alumni association and recruitment offices at your school as there might be several opportunities available through this channel.

4. Utilize Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool, and most hiring managers will check your social media accounts before hiring you. The way you conduct yourself online is powerful so be sure to complete a social media profile of yourself before beginning any job hunt. Google yourself to see what appears on a quick search and consider using the services of a resume writing company. These firms often provide social media analysis services, and can help you eliminate any negatives and accentuate the positive.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, create one and fill it with relevant information. Build up your Facebook and Google+ profiles so that people quickly can see your job history as well as pertinent (and positive) information about you. Additionally, follow companies that fit within your career field as well as organizations related to your field. This helps you stay up-to-date with your industry at all times.

5. Use A Professional Resume Writing Company
We’ve been in the resume business for many years now, and we truly understand the subtle art that is resume writing. A professional resume writer understands the type of language and format that appeals to hiring managers, and, if you hire a quality resume service, you won’t have to worry about sending out a resume that contains careless errors either. After all, if a hiring manager spots a spelling error on your resume, it’s almost guaranteed that your document will end up in the trash.

Before you hire that resume writing company, take a look at our recommendations. We spend all of our time reviewing resume writing services and have compiled a short list of companies that consistently product top-notch resumes. Selecting these companies ensure that you will receive a resume that truly stands out amongst the competition.