With all the job search advice available online, you’d think we’d all be pros when it comes to applying for and securing new gigs. But the Internet abounds with stories about job interview mistakes — from dressing wrong to arriving late to failing to conduct research on the company. Just tonight over drinks, a friend told me that her boyfriend saw nothing wrong with telling a prospective employer that his ideal job would be working at a gas station “because it would be easy.”

As freelancers, most of us don’t do many face-to-face interviews, but we still make our share of job search snafus. Make any of the mistakes below, and your application e-mail is sure to be deleted without a second thought.

1. Ignore the ad’s instructions. Writing samples … references … salary history … whatever the ad asks for, send it. This is your first opportunity to show that you are attentive and can follow directions. Don’t blow it.
2. Include attachments that aren’t requested. E-mails that include unsolicited attachments often aren’t even opened. If the ad requests links to writing samples or a resume included in the body of the message, make sure you follow the directions carefully. And don’t jump the gun by sending writing samples if they aren’t requested … companies sometimes conduct an initial screening and ask for writing samples later.
3. Send the same form letter every time. If you don’t take the time to learn the client’s needs or niche and describe exactly how you can best meet them, your application isn’t going to be memorable or persuasive.
4. Apply for jobs you clearly aren’t qualified for. Don’t apply for a blogging gig that specifically requests experience if you’ve never blogged before, or apply to write for a niche Web site on a topic you know nothing about. There are plenty of opportunities out there for you to find gigs that match your experience and interests.
5. Count yourself out of the running. This may seem contradictory to the last item, but there’s a difference between not applying for something because you aren’t qualified … and not applying because you irrationally doubt your abilities. Sometimes I hold myself back from applying for gigs that seem intimidating, even though I may be qualified. I find myself thinking something along the lines of, yeah, I could probably do it. But someone else could probably do it better. And you know what? That will always be true. But that person might not apply. Let the client determine if your qualifications fit the bill. I have a freelancing friend who applies for just about everything she’s remotely qualified for. As a result, she never has a shortage of work and is charging $30 an hour for new clients. So be a little gutsy. You already know you won’t get every job you apply for. But if you don’t apply for something, you’ll never get it.