Improve your job search results. Don't fall vicitim to fallacies and misperceptions about how to be successful in today's job market.
1. Your resume ought to be one page. This is nonsense unless you have minimal experience or you are a recent graduate. In general, the rule of thumb is 2 pages for 5-15 years of experience, 2-3 for 15+ years. Omitting key experience and skills will kill your chances of getting an interview. Omit the objective and use a powerful message on the heading of your key accomplishments. Quantify accomplishments where possible and be specific about the goals you have achieved for your employer. A good resume will aide in your branding, tell your story and should convey why you should be interviewed - in 20 seconds - the time the person reviewing the resume will make his/ her decision if they are going to read further.
2. The more resumes I send, the more interviews I will get. Absurd, unless you are taking the time necessary to adjust your resume; and cover letter specifically for each job for which you apply, and are following up every one with a personal contact. Companies on the average, will interview one applicant per every 245 resumes; it receives. Competition is fierce. The sophisticated job hunter identifies specific firms and pursues hiring managers within those companies. Reach out to the people who may hire anytime within the next few months and keep in touch with them.
3. Online Postings are Where to Find Jobs. This is a huge fallacy. You might as well look for a needle in a haystack. Internet job postings vs. actual hires are about 5% of the market. The idea that internet job searching will result in employers lining up to interview you is pure fiction. Use the web for networking, researching a company for an interview, or for contacts within a targeted firm. The internet is useful as a part of your job search but certainly not the only one you depend on for job leads.
4. If a Company Isn't Advertising, You Will not Get an Interview. This is another misconception. One of the most productive ways to spend time in your job search is informational interviews. Arrange an informal meeting with people working in your field to learn more the industry, get expert career advice and, most importantly, build a network of contacts in your field. Often, they may know of an opportunity in another company, resulting in a referral interview for you. Countless times, in weeks after your meeting, you will receive a call for an opening that the company did not have at the time of your interview and that hasn't been advertised yet. Instead of getting into a line, you will be creating the line, and hopefully eliminate the need for the position to be advertised. At the very least, you will have made a contact that you may find helpful at some point in the future.
5. The One Who is Hired is the One Who Will Do the Job the Best. Not so. Decision makers hire people they feel comfortable with. Having the requisite skills is obviously important, but fitting into the organization's culture is significant too. This means that you will have to do some research to find out what the culture is -- the goal and ideas that shape the company, the way people communicate, and the kinds of people who are respected within the organization. You will find this information by talking to people via social media and networking contacts. You may be the best applicant, but it will boil down to your interview and the relationship you build with your interviewer. Demonstrate why you are the right candidate to fill the job, make a good first impression by being on time and dressing professionally. Use strong examples to show your skills. Most of all, express your interest by inquiring how and when to communicate again. Demonstrate your interest in the position without becoming a pest. Make certain to send a thank you note right away.
To find a job in the market today, you must attain new expertise. The more you interview, network and communicate the easier the process becomes. Avoid beginner errors and stick to established techniques and you will get hired, faster.
1. Your resume ought to be one page. This is nonsense unless you have minimal experience or you are a recent graduate. In general, the rule of thumb is 2 pages for 5-15 years of experience, 2-3 for 15+ years. Omitting key experience and skills will kill your chances of getting an interview. Omit the objective and use a powerful message on the heading of your key accomplishments. Quantify accomplishments where possible and be specific about the goals you have achieved for your employer. A good resume will aide in your branding, tell your story and should convey why you should be interviewed - in 20 seconds - the time the person reviewing the resume will make his/ her decision if they are going to read further.
2. The more resumes I send, the more interviews I will get. Absurd, unless you are taking the time necessary to adjust your resume; and cover letter specifically for each job for which you apply, and are following up every one with a personal contact. Companies on the average, will interview one applicant per every 245 resumes; it receives. Competition is fierce. The sophisticated job hunter identifies specific firms and pursues hiring managers within those companies. Reach out to the people who may hire anytime within the next few months and keep in touch with them.
3. Online Postings are Where to Find Jobs. This is a huge fallacy. You might as well look for a needle in a haystack. Internet job postings vs. actual hires are about 5% of the market. The idea that internet job searching will result in employers lining up to interview you is pure fiction. Use the web for networking, researching a company for an interview, or for contacts within a targeted firm. The internet is useful as a part of your job search but certainly not the only one you depend on for job leads.
4. If a Company Isn't Advertising, You Will not Get an Interview. This is another misconception. One of the most productive ways to spend time in your job search is informational interviews. Arrange an informal meeting with people working in your field to learn more the industry, get expert career advice and, most importantly, build a network of contacts in your field. Often, they may know of an opportunity in another company, resulting in a referral interview for you. Countless times, in weeks after your meeting, you will receive a call for an opening that the company did not have at the time of your interview and that hasn't been advertised yet. Instead of getting into a line, you will be creating the line, and hopefully eliminate the need for the position to be advertised. At the very least, you will have made a contact that you may find helpful at some point in the future.
5. The One Who is Hired is the One Who Will Do the Job the Best. Not so. Decision makers hire people they feel comfortable with. Having the requisite skills is obviously important, but fitting into the organization's culture is significant too. This means that you will have to do some research to find out what the culture is -- the goal and ideas that shape the company, the way people communicate, and the kinds of people who are respected within the organization. You will find this information by talking to people via social media and networking contacts. You may be the best applicant, but it will boil down to your interview and the relationship you build with your interviewer. Demonstrate why you are the right candidate to fill the job, make a good first impression by being on time and dressing professionally. Use strong examples to show your skills. Most of all, express your interest by inquiring how and when to communicate again. Demonstrate your interest in the position without becoming a pest. Make certain to send a thank you note right away.
To find a job in the market today, you must attain new expertise. The more you interview, network and communicate the easier the process becomes. Avoid beginner errors and stick to established techniques and you will get hired, faster.
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