Have you been on the job hunt for longer than you expected (or wanted)?  Do you feel that you’re treading water, failing to get interviews or even inquires from recruiters about your resume?  If so, you could be unknowingly sabotaging your job search.  Let’s take a look at a few symptoms of job search sabotage:

1. You build it and hope that they will come.  If you’re engaged in a passive job search where you simply post your resume on job sites and hope that the perfect employer will find you, then you’re probably engaged in job search sabotage.  If you want to find the best employers you need to actively pursue them, because your competition certainly is.  That means sending resumes, attending events where the employer may be and actively trying to connect to decision makers.
2. You appear too hungry, also known as desperate.  Yes, we’re in the middle of a recession; but that doesn’t mean that you’re no longer a skilled professional.  Job seekers who appear too desperate to take any job can turn off employers and recruiters.  Instead, have a clear definition of what you want while knowing what areas you’re willing to do without.  While you may not find the perfect job, you can find one that is close enough.
3. You make assumptions about employers, recruiters and the job market.  What you don’t know that you don’t know will definitely hurt you.  Sometimes when you’re on the job hunt for an extended period time, you might make the mistake of assuming that the same conditions exist today that existed 12 months ago. That assumption is a mistake.  Make sure that you remain attuned to changes so that you can make adjustments to your job search strategy as required.