Job hunting is such a stressful time that it’s easy to fall back on traditional job seeking advice. Your identity, financial goals and career are on the line, so it’s no wonder that there’s a whole ocean of “rules” out there on how to navigate the job search properly. Unfortunately, the following nuggets will likely harm rather than help your job seeking efforts. If you’re in the process of job hunting, give the following advice a wide berth:
It’s OK to pad your CV a little
Some people believe that it’s more or less expected that you overinflate your skills and embellish the truth. The fact is, lying on your CV is risky business and not as common as people think. It’s just a matter of time before you’re found out anyway.
Lower your salary to get a foot in the door
You want to present an attractive prospect to your employer. But you don’t need to undervalue yourself and lower your salary to bargain. Know what your skills are worth and have the self respect to hold out for an employer who knows it, too.
What you see is what you get
Don’t be tempted to glance at online job postings and think that what you see there is all there is. Only a fraction of the jobs that are out there are advertised this way. If you grow apathetic at how few there are, you could miss out on hunting down all those “hidden” positions.
Everyone’s suspicious of a “job hopper”
The days of long term company loyalty and clear, uncomplicated career paths are over. While you’ll need to explain gaps and inconsistencies in your CV, don’t fret that you appear to be all over the place. Reframe your experience as just that – valuable experience. As long as you can find a way to tie it back to the requirements of the current job, a CV mosaic shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Beggars can’t be choosers
Financial pressure is always a consideration, but think twice before accepting a less-than-ideal position simply because it’s better than nothing. In the long term, it’s actually not better. You can quickly become complacent in a new role and lose the edge to seek out the work you really want.
Follow up like your life depends on it
Depending on how much attention the job posting receives, your constant follow-up calls can be perceived as annoying or worse, send your CV to the bottom of the pile. Use your discretion. Make it easy for employers to access your info, give a curt follow up if they don’t specify not to, then leave it be. They know you’re there, and they’ll get back to you if they’re interested.
A recruiter can take care of everything for me
Recruiters are great, but only as one aspect of your job search. Remember that recruiters are not actively campaigning on your behalf, and they may not always be after your best interests.
On your job-hunting journey, you’ll need to constantly make choices about how to present yourself and what risks to take. Be wary of dubious job hunting advice, though, and use common sense when you head out into the market to catch that dream position.
