Top Five Job-Hunting Myths

Are Your Search Efforts Actually Effective?

GordonMiller

Posted: Jan 8, 07 12:33pm

For those of us who are thinking about finding a new job—one where we work for an employer (versus our own endeavor)—know this: suggestions and unsolicited advice on how to best conduct our job search are, in my opinion, closer to being myths than substantiated strategies or tactics.

Drawing on the experiences of my clients from all parts of the country with a wide range of educational and work backgrounds, I have found the following five myths to potentially be the most damaging to a successful job hunt:

1. Online job hunting is effective

Simply said, it's not true. It is, however, very alluring. The idea of sitting in your jammies, electronically sending off your resume to what appears to be a position description written specifically for you, seems easy enough. But the facts don't lie. Numerous studies have shown that less than ten percent of all positions filled happen via the Internet.

Gordon's Recommendation: I'm not suggesting that you never submit your resume in this manner. I am recommending that you only spend ten percent of your job search effort online.

2. Networking is the key

If that means schmoozing and glad-handing, I don't agree. If you're perceived as someone trolling for jobs, it may negatively impact people's impression of you.

Gordon's Recommendation: I suggest you concentrate on connecting, not networking. Think of connecting as a two-way street, where you're building relationships that benefit both parties. It's as much about what you can do for the other person as what they can provide for you. And it's typically more targeted than a random act of bumping into someone. You have pre-determined the people who can be of value to your search (since they are well connected in the firm or organization you want to join) and hopefully have a referral from a mutual connection. Start by talking to fellow members of trade associations, volunteer groups, service clubs (i.e. Rotary), alumni associations, and the like. You may also consider subscribing to an online business-networking site like LinkedIn to find possible "connectors."

3. People over 50 can't get hired

There is no question that age-related bias is alive and well. Unfortunately, I see it every day. But I also see people in their 50s and 60s landing great new jobs. The key is to talk about what you can do for the firm or organization going forward, not what you have done in the past. Why? Because some younger decision-makers think people our age (I'm 58) either don't want to work hard or our talents are woefully out of date.

Gordon's Recommendation: I suggest you get up to speed on business issues and trends of the industry you are looking to join. The goal is to be able to gain enough in-depth insight into the targeted firm or organization so that you can actually present and discuss specific ideas (new programs, products/services, processes) that will help them meet or exceed their goals. Note: it's not good enough to talk about what a quick learner you are, or what a good team player you are, or how hard you will work.

4. No experience, no job

Lacking experience in a certain profession will certainly make it more difficult, but by no means impossible, to find work. I'm a good example. I left the office products business to join an information technology firm and I had zero technology skills or experience. Heck, I couldn't even figure out how to run my e-mail back then.

Gordon's Recommendation: First and foremost, I suggest you apply the same thinking I outlined above in number three to overcome this issue. You might also think about how the skills you developed in a previous profession or job transfer to this new job. Be ready to cite specific examples of how those skills saved the day in a challenge similar to the ones this new company is facing.

5. Prepare canned answers for the interview

While it's important to have some idea on how to answer certain interview questions, hiring executives tell me that it is obvious when a candidate has memorized answers and that they aren't very impressed.

Gordon's Recommendation: I suggest that you just be you during an interview. Write down the smart questions you are going to ask them during the meeting. By smart, I mean questions that show them that you know their business, current happenings, even future trends (i.e., "Now that your key competitor ABC Company has launched its new X product, will you make the planned changes to your Y product to offset their advantage?")

Do you have suggestions for job-hunting myths? What worked in your search?