Five Common Mistakes Young Jobseekers Make (That We See From the Hiring Side)
- hongminglau8
- Apr 27
- 7 min read
Over the years in executive search and coaching, we’ve interviewed thousands of professionals – from fresh graduates to senior leaders. What’s interesting is that many of the small mistakes we see at the senior level actually started with their very first job search.
Recently, as we speak more with parents, students and recent graduates, a clear pattern has emerged. Young jobseekers are often:
Smart
Educated
Hard‑working
…but still struggling to turn applications into offers.
From the hiring side of the table, here are five common mistakes we frequently see – and what can help.
1. Sending out “one-size-fits-all” CVs
Many students and graduates use one CV for everything, changing only the company name. The result is a document that feels generic and unfocused.
From an employer’s perspective, it raises questions:
Does this person really understand the role?
Have they read the job description?
Why this company, and why this position?
A better approach:
Start with a clear idea of what you are applying for. Then:
Bring the most relevant experience and skills to the top
Use language that reflects the requirements of the role
Remove details that distract from the core message
A CV is not a personal history; it is a targeted professional message.
2. Treating LinkedIn as optional
Some young candidates still do not have a LinkedIn profile, or they copy‑paste their CV into it without thinking about how it looks to hiring managers.
In many organisations, LinkedIn is one of the first places a recruiter or line manager will check. A weak or empty profile can send the wrong signal, even if the CV is strong.
A better approach:
Use a clear, professional photo
Write a short, specific headline (e.g. “Final-year Marketing Student seeking Digital Marketing / Brand Internship”)
Add 3–4 lines in the About section explaining who you are and what you are looking for
Make sure your experience and education sections are consistent with your CV
A focused, credible LinkedIn profile tells employers you take your career seriously.
3. Going to interviews unprepared for real questions
Many students think “preparation” means reading the company website for 10 minutes. Then they are surprised when interviews feel difficult.
From the interviewer’s side, it is clear who has practised answering questions out loud and who is trying to think of answers on the spot.
A better approach:
Prepare and practise answers to common questions, such as:
“Tell me about yourself.”
“Why are you interested in this role / company?”
“Tell me about a time you faced a challenge.”
Record yourself (or practise with someone) to hear how you actually sound
Get comfortable structuring answers with a simple situation–action–result format
Confidence in interviews is rarely “natural” – it usually comes from good preparation and
honest feedback.
4. Aiming either too high… or too vague
We often meet young candidates who are either:
Applying only to very big names or very narrow job titles, or
Applying to “anything”, with no clear criteria
Both extremes can be unhelpful. The first leads to repeated rejection; the second to confusion and lack of progress.
A better approach:
Define a realistic range of roles and industries that match your strengths, education and language skills
Be open to stepping-stone roles that offer good learning and exposure, not just big brands
Have a short list of target companies, and a wider list of acceptable options
Clarity does not mean having everything planned for the next 20 years; it means knowing what a good next step looks like.
5. Not asking for the right kind of feedback and support
Young people often receive many opinions from friends and family – all well‑intentioned, but not always based on current hiring practice.
From the headhunting side, we see a gap between:
What candidates think employers want, and
What employers actually look for when they choose someone
A better approach:
Seek feedback from people who regularly hire, interview or review CVs
Be open to adjusting your strategy (CV, LinkedIn, target roles) based on this feedback
Consider working with a coach who understands both career development and how decisions are made inside companies
Bringing headhunting and coaching together for students and first‑job seekers
At TROUVÉ EXECUTIVE, our daily work in Executive Search & Selection gives us a close view of how hiring decisions are made across different functions and industries. Our coaching work helps individuals translate that insight into practical steps for their own careers.
This is why we are now extending our support to students and first‑job seekers through our Student & Graduate Career Coaching (for Parents).
Our aim is simple:
Help young people avoid these common mistakes early
Equip them with clearer strategy, stronger documents and better interview skills
Support parents who want to invest in their child’s long‑term career readiness
If you are a parent, student, educator or employer and you recognise some of these patterns, I would be very interested to hear your experiences.
You are welcome to like, comment or share this post so more families can join the discussion.
To learn more about our work at TROUVÉ EXECUTIVE, please visit: Student & Graduate Career Coaching | Trouvé Executive / www.trouve-executive.com or email us at admin@trouve-executive.com
從招聘角度睇：年輕求職者五個常見錯誤
喺做 獵頭同教練工作 呢幾年，我哋訪問過成千上萬位專業人士——由初出茅廬嘅畢業生，到高層管理人員都有。有趣嘅地方係：好多 高層喺面試上出現嘅小問題，其實早喺佢哋 第一次搵工 嗰陣已經出現。
近年同更多家長、準畢業生同年輕在職人士傾偈，發現好多求職困難並唔係因為「唔叻」、「唔勤力」，而係因為：
聰明、有學歷
肯努力
但仍然 好難將求職努力變成真正嘅 offer
由招聘方角度出發，我哋經常見到以下 五個常見錯誤，同埋可以點樣改善。
1. 一份 CV 行天下
好多同學只係用 一份 CV 應付所有職位，頂多改一改公司名。結果份 CV 變得 好平均、冇重點。
喺僱主眼中，自然會問：
呢位候選人係咪真係明白呢個職位？
佢有冇認真睇過 Job Description？
點解想入呢間公司？點解係呢個崗位？
更好嘅做法：
先搞清楚自己 申請緊咩職位，再：
將 最相關嘅經驗同技能 放到最前
用返同職位要求有關嘅用語
刪走會分散焦點、同目標無乜關係嘅內容
CV 唔係完整人生故事，而係一份 有針對性嘅專業訊息。
2. 以為 LinkedIn 可有可無
有啲年輕求職者仲未開 LinkedIn，又或者只係將 CV 原文 copy & paste 上去，冇諗過 僱主睇落去係乜感覺。
喺好多公司入面，LinkedIn 係招聘人員或者部門主管 第一批會 check 嘅地方之一。Profile 太空白或者太隨意，即使 CV 寫得唔錯，都有機會影響印象。
更好嘅做法：
用一張 清晰、得體嘅大頭照
寫一個簡潔而具體嘅 Headline（例如：「市場營銷系四年級生，尋找 Digital Marketing / Brand Internship 機會」）
喺 About 部分用三、四行介紹自己係邊一類人才、希望發展邊個方向
確保 Experience 同 Education 同你 CV 內容一致
一個專業、有重點嘅 LinkedIn Profile，會俾僱主感覺你對自己嘅事業係認真嘅。
3. 面試準備只係「睇十分鐘公司網頁」
唔少同學以為準備面試，即係 大約睇一睇公司網站。到真正面試，就自然覺得問題好難答。
由面試官角度，其實好容易分辨到：邊啲人係 有認真練習答問題，邊啲係 當場諗、即時拼湊答案。
更好嘅做法：
預先準備同練習常見問題，例如：
「可唔可以介紹一下自己？」
「點解對呢個崗位 / 呢間公司有興趣？」
「講一個你面對困難或者挫折嘅例子。」
可以錄音或錄影，自己回看自己嘅表達
嘗試用簡單嘅 情境–行動–結果 結構去答問題
面試自信好少係「天生」，通常都係來自 持續練習同真誠嘅回饋。
4. 目標太高，或者完全冇目標
我哋見過兩種極端：
只係投 少數幾間大公司或者非常狹窄職位
又或者乜都投，變成 「有工都試下」，但其實自己都唔知想點
兩種情況都唔利求職：前者容易連番碰壁，後者就愈嚟愈迷惘。
更好嘅做法：
按住自己嘅學歷、語言能力、實習經驗，定一個 相對實際嘅行業同職位範圍
接受有時一啲 有學習空間嘅過渡性職位，比名氣大但學習少嘅工作更合適
建立一個 重點 target 清單，再加上一個 可接受選項清單
清晰唔代表要 plan 好未來 20 年，而係知道咩叫做對自己嚟講一個 「好嘅下一步」。
5. 冇搵到適合嘅回饋同支援
年輕人身邊唔少人會俾意見：同學、師兄師姐、親戚朋友…… 好多都係出於關心，但未必掌握 現今年招聘實況。
喺獵頭工作入面，我哋經常見到一個落差：
候選人 以為 僱主要嘅係啲乜
同僱主 實際上 作出決定時真正著眼嘅地方
更好嘅做法：
嘗試向 有實際招聘或面試經驗 嘅人請教
願意根據這些專業回饋，調整自己嘅 CV、LinkedIn、求職策略
有需要時，可以考慮搵一位同時了解 職涯發展同企業招聘流程 嘅教練同行
將獵頭視角融入學生及初職人士教練服務
喺 TROUVÉ EXECUTIVE，我哋喺 高管獵頭 (Executive Search & Selection) 工作入面，長期觀察唔同企業喺招聘各級人才時的考慮因素；亦透過 行政人員及職涯教練服務，協助專業人士將呢啲洞見轉化成 實際行動。
而家，我哋希望將呢份經驗延伸到 學生同初入職場嘅年輕人，透過 「學生及初職人士職涯教練（給家長）」 服務：
幫助佢哋喺起步階段就避免以上常見錯誤
建立更清晰嘅求職策略、更有說服力嘅文件同更穩定嘅面試表現
亦讓家長可以更有系統地支持子女嘅長遠職涯發展
如果你係家長、學生、老師、輔導人員或僱主，而你都見過以上情況，亦都歡迎你分享你嘅觀察同經驗。
誠邀你 讚好、留言或分享 呢篇文章，等更多家庭可以一齊討論。
想進一步了解 TROUVÉ EXECUTIVE 嘅工作，歡迎瀏覽：www.trouve-executive.com / Student & Graduate Career Coaching | Trouvé Executive和電郵到 admin@trouve-executive.com
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