The Chico job market is saturated with thousands of college students and only a handful of businesses.

If you don’t know why you’re not receiving a callback after submitting dozens of applications, you aren’t alone.It could be from stiff competition, but it might be from common mistakes that many applicants make.

Here are five tips to improve the chances of getting a call back:

1. Dress the part.

One mistake many people make is dressing too casually and making an unprofessional first impression.Whether it’s picking up an application, dropping off a resume or checking up on your application, the way you present yourself matters.

You should always dress as if you are about to walk into an interview. Jeans and a nice top are acceptable if they are the only things accessible to you, but dress pants and a button-down shirt are ideal

.2. Job search alone.

Another common mistake applicants make is turning job hunting into a group effort. Searching for a job should be something you do alone. Danielle Acosta, co-manager at Bath and Body Works, experiences this frequently with applicants.

“You wouldn’t believe how common it is for them to come in with their friends,” Acosta said. “It’s not a good first impression, and it’s not professional.”

3. Make a memorable first impression.

It’s important to realize that you may only get one chance to set yourself apart from the other job-hungry students with resumes piled high on the manager’s desk. Clifford Kunkel, assistant manager at Trucker, said that the first 30 seconds of meeting someone lets him know if they will be successful there.

“When an applicant shakes my hand, introduces themselves and gives me a 15 second run-down, it’s impressive,” Kunkel said. “The biggest mistake an applicant makes is coming in and acting like a robot.”

4. Don’t get hung up on your faults.

A lot of minimum wage jobs don’t expect applicants to have a lot of experience, so don’t be afraid to apply. Experience isn’t the only thing that matters to an employer.

“We look for personable and outgoing people,” said Kunkel. “If they have a good attitude and outgoing personality, it makes experience less important.”

Confidence is important in a job search. Make sure to highlight your strengths, not your weaknesses.

5. Get your resume in the right hands.

It’s not always easy to get in touch with a manager, but you should always try. Doing this matches a face to your resume and makes a great first impression. If someone before you talked with the manager in person and you didn’t, they’re already a step ahead of you. When you go in, ask for the manager, even if you’re just picking up an application.

One of the biggest struggles for Chico State students is finding a job, so why not improve your chances? It’s time to dust off your dress pants, work on a firm handshake, show some confidence and go find a job.

Ariel Hernandez can be reached at [email protected] or @aj7uriel on Twitter.