Top 10 Outdated Job Search Tips

You may have heard some of these pieces of outdated information or bad advice when it comes to finding a job. Don't listen to them. Read below and be prepared to discard mythology in the workplace!

1. A resume must have only one page, because interviewers won't read any more than that.

Two pages are fine, but have lots of white space to contrast with the type and keep it interesting! It should be targeted specifically to the job you want and it should be full of completely related information. It MUST be free of all mistakes and typos. A large pile of debris is much worse than a perfect one-page resume.

Truly, one or two errors cause the resume scanner to discard your resume. I submitted a resume and cover letter via email once and had one typo in the email - I received a very nasty message back that used poor grammar and spelling, kind of "How dare you apply for this position with that typo?!" It turned out that no one in the organization had higher education than a high school diploma, so they took my one error as an excuse to keep me and my advanced degrees out of the organization. So, don't give anyone any excuses not to hire you.

2. Only the best-qualified job candidates are hired.

WRONG!

The number one indicator of whether you are hired or not is you interviewing skills and "Social IQ."

Employers also look for qualities such as how you get along with others and function in a team setting. Build rapport with your interviewers and team members you meet in the interview process - This includes the receptionist and the janitor. Qualifications, professional experience, education, and volunteerism may result in an interview, but you'll have to prove yourself and sell yourself in the interview. See out link for Interview Etiquette:

3. Don't request an interview with a company that's not hiring - It's a waste of their time.

How about YOUR time?

Feel free to ask for an informational interview from any company. It is good public relations and good free publicity for a company to grant such a request. Set up an interview with one of their hiring managers and ask about the company, especially about its long-range goals and expansion in the future. Build a professional network in this way on order to learn of future opportunities.

4. If you applied for a job and have not been called, someone else was hired.

Interviewers are busy, sometimes for months. Sometimes they need the best job candidates to call them first. You can do this by snail mail, a faxed letter, an e-mail, or a phone call. Follow up on every application you submit, 3 days to 2 weeks after you have submitted it. Often, it takes a couple of months to find the right person for the job (in state jobs, 6 months), so be persistent.

5. In today's job market, you can expect only low salaries, especially to start.

While many employers are downsizing and scaling back salaries, employees still deserve to be paid what they are worth. IN addition, with the Baby Boomers retiring, there are not enough skilled workers to fill the vacant positions. Good job candidates will received more than one job offer, so you can expect to have some leveraging power in salary negotiations. Research salary ranges for your local are labor market via our link:

6. Take the first job you're offered, because you may not get another one.

BAD ADVICE!

Don't work a job you hate - You won't be productive and it can make you cynical and sick.

If you are strapped for funds, take a less than perfect job only temporarily until you can find what you want and need -- and KEEP LOOKING.

7. Finding a job is easy.

I wish it were true.

Jobs are not going to come to you. Job search is a 40-hour-a-week job all by itself, so don't try to take shortcuts. The average job search lasts four to six months. The time it takes to find a good job suited to you depends on:

• Your interviewing skills
• Your networking abilities
• Your local area job market - what's available short and long term
• Your qualifications, professional experience, and education

8. You'll make a large salary on your first job and be set for life

DOUBTFUL

Check out our salary research page at the link below. Use it to find true salary ranges for your job based on your location and experience.

Compare starting, midpoint, and endpoint salaries in your career field and related jobs. You may have to start below midpoint and work your way up.

Negotiating a salary shows your boss that you are a thinking person and are not naive. If there is no room for salary adjustment, take into account the benefits like 401K, flexible opening accounts, tuition reimbursement, flex time, vacations, bonuses, and other perks.

Be grateful for a full-time salary, but don't be a pushover.

9. What you think of the employer isn't important.

NO WAY

Determine the organizational culture and your new supervisors' management styles. Ask questions. What are the specific challenges on the job? What's a typical day like? Are there opportunities advancement? What kind of professional development program is offered? Talk to current and former employees, if you can. Your opinion of the company is just as important as the employer's opinion of you.

10. If you don't know what to do, go to college or graduate school.

BIG MISTAKE!

This is what happened in the 1950s and 1960s: "everyone" in one Midwest town enrolled in the local teacher's degree program, because legend was that it was easy and you could get any job anyway, if you had a degree or go on to graduate school on a stipend. Many of these folks quit college or ended up hating teaching.

The college then increased their program length to 5-6 years with a Masters Degree in Education required. No more "easy" life.

Don't become a professional student, because sooner or later, you will run out of classes to take, research to do, and loans, grants, and internships to fill in order to make a living.

For another extreme example, one American graduate school has no classes for its PhD program. Students simply perform research for 10 years at a pay rate of $800 or so per month, working 40-60 hours per week. It's great for 10 years if you want to hide from the real world, but what do students do after this? The school doesn't have to give them a PhD, even when they complete the 10 years.

The point is - make sure you have a goal of employment and a reasonable time-line in place if you go to graduate school.