Finding a new hospitality job can be challenging, but you’re not the only one investing time in the process. Hotel and restaurant employers also spend valuable hours searching for suitable candidates, interviewing those with the greatest potential, and narrowing their selection to the best of the best. If you want to improve your chances of making the shortlist and landing that coveted position, avoid these five things employers hate most about job seekers.

1. Cluelessness

People who don’t know what they want to do with their lives apply for any and every job advertised. Professionals, on the other hand, look for positions that will help them further their careers. If you don’t want your resume to end up in the trash, don’t apply for jobs you are significantly under or overqualified for. When you do so, you’re wasting more time than just your own.

2. Inability to follow directions

Few employers will believe you’re capable of running a restaurant or managing a concierge desk if you’re unable to follow the simple instructions included in a job posting. Not only is it possible that the person in charge will never receive your resume if you ignore pertinent submission directions, but you’re also guaranteeing a horrible first impression.

3. Lying and subterfuge

It may be tempting to alter previous dates of employment or spiff up your last job title, but lying and subterfuge are unlikely to win you a new position. In fact, a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 64 percent of employers did not offer a potential employee a job after a background check revealed inaccuracies.

4. Laziness

A job seeker who fails to research an employer before coming to a job interview appears naïve at best and lazy at worst. It’s impossible to communicate the reasons you’re the best fit for any particular hospitality job if you are unfamiliar with the company’s history, mission, and current goals.

5. Relentlessness

It’s important to be enthusiastic about a job opportunity, but you must walk a fine line between being motivated and relentless. Employers hate the latter, and it’s easy to understand why. Repeated phone calls, daily emails, or “dropping by” the restaurant or hotel to inquire about their decision takes up even more of their valuable time—a fact that is unlikely to go unnoticed or unpunished.

Avoiding these five unfortunate things employers hate about job seekers is one way to stand out in the crowd. To get started, conduct your job search on an industry-specific job board such as Hcareers. With thousands of jobs posted by hotel and restaurant employers across North America, you’re certain to find several ideal opportunities.