Job Search Truisms -Fact or Fiction?

Reneé Zung Career Advice, Job Search

At times, job hunting feels like you are treading water in the ocean without a life jacket. Your friends and family offer you suggestions and conflicting advice, and if you leave it to Google you will be just as confused. The good news is that not everything you read is false, but some of the advice you receive might be biased or dated.

MYTH #1 -No one is hiring during COVID-19

FACT –Companies are hiring. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment is down in June 2020. And according to LinkedIn there was a small uptick in hiring in June 2020

MYTH #2 -All you need is a good resume

FACT –Job seekers in the digital age need to tailor their resume for each job application online as well as for each referral. Most resumes do not get past the applicant tracking system simply because the resume is not formatted correctly or is missing the key words.

MYTH #3 -All Jobs are posted online

FACT –Only 30% of jobs are posted online and while applying online is easy you can be the most qualified candidate and still not land an interview if you don’t leverage your network for an introduction.

MYTH #4 -All I need is a good recruiter

FACT –Recruiters might help you bypass the ATS system; however, it’s good to keep in mind that they do not work for you. Recruiters are hired by companies, and if you happen to be the best candidate you will be presented to the company. Remember that it is the hiring organization, not you, “putting food on the recruiter’s table.”

MYTH #5 -Resumes should be one page

FACT –Two page chronological-accomplishment written resumes with closer to 1000 words in total are the norm.

MYTH #6 -Apply for every job at My Targeted Company

FACT € “ If you apply for every job at your ideal (targeted) company you will only hurt your chances of actually being interviewed. It is not possible to be qualified for every job at a company. It is best to try to check your network for a referral or only apply to one or at most two jobs at the company of your dreams.

Some advice might seem a bit counter-intuitive to job seekers. It might seem logical to apply for as many jobs as possible at a company, or in general, in order to get an interview. The fact is that 70% of jobs are found through networking. In fact, you will need to apply to close to 200 jobs to get an interview.

In order to increase your odds in job searching you need to network. It is a myth if you think that you can’t network during COVID-19. In fact, it is easier to network virtually than you may realize. Tools such as LinkedIn help you reconnect or make connections to contacts at your targeted companies. Networking might seem a bit laborious; however the rate of return is closer to 80%.

The key to any successful job search campaign is to create a list of targeted companies. Use job boards to see who might be hiring and then start networking. Of course, if you do apply online using tools such as Jobscan will increase your chances of you and your resume making it past the applicant tracking system.

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