The United States just celebrated 68 straight months of net job growth. Following the election, Canada’s job growth “smashed expectations.” The recovery from the recession hasn’t always been exciting, but it has been relatively steady. So why aren’t job seekers feeling optimistic about the future?

While unemployment may be down, competition for sales jobs is as cut throat as ever. Increasingly, top firms are relying on sales headhunters rather than posting job openings online. And while sales people used to spend the first five years of their career in their first job, now everyone has one eye on the next step up the career ladder. That means job seekers aren’t just competing with each other, but even employed sales people applying for jobs on the sly.

So how do you boost your chances of getting a job. Working with sales headhunters is a good place to start, but how do you get them to notice you? More importantly, how do you avoid turning them off? What kind of mistakes are you making without realizing it? Sales headhunters reveal some major red flags candidates put up without even realizing it!

Are you one of these unfortunate types?

The Social Media Preacher

Everyone knows that your social media profile is fair game during the background check. And while you can make sure your Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram are clean and impressive, there’s another way to step on a social media landmine. Many young people use social media to talk politics, and that can cause problems. Although it’s not fair — and not always legal — outspoken political beliefs could give a hiring manager pause. A political opinion that seems totally righteous to you and your social circle might give sales headhunters pause. And it’s not whether it’s too conservative or too liberal. No one likes a know-it-all, and in 2015, anything potentially controversial could make employers nervous.

The Traditionalist

So you’ve gone over your resume and cover letter. It’s perfect in every way. It’s typo free and perfectly spaced. There’s just one problem. It’s boring. Now, that doesn’t mean you should spice it up with emojis or puns, but you have to ask yourself, will this standout to sales headhunters? You want your applications to be professional, but not forgettable.

The Judas

In sales, as in life, it’s good to be ambitious. But if you’re too quick to jump at new opportunities, you might seem like a disloyal employee. That doesn’t mean you should avoid opportunities to move up in the world, but you must do so tactfully. Don’t speak poorly of former employers. Don’t complain about your current position. When looking for that next job, don’t seem overeager to leave your coworkers behind.

Got any more advice about turning off sales recruitment agencies? Let us know where you’ve gone wrong in the past!