Although the U.S. economy showed improvement in October, jobs remain difficult to get as well as to keep. What’s holding some people back from becoming re-employed, finding another job, or advancing in their careers, are a few career and job search myths.
OI Partners-Venturion, a global talent management firm, surveyed its career consultants to come up with several top career and job-search myths:
MYTH: Older job-seekers should leave dates of graduation and years of experience off their resumes and social media profiles.
FACT: Omitting this information could serve as a “red flag” that says, “Older applicant and embarrassed about it.” “Don’t make a hiring manager have to guess how old you are,” said Don Huse, managing partner of OI Partners-Venturion. “Age is not as much of an issue as it used to be, but older employees need to be prepared to address it. Refer to yourself using terms such as high-energy, able to learn new systems, and good technology skills, while emphasizing benefits older employees can bring, such as experience, maturity, work ethic, and ability to understand the big picture.”
MYTH: Mentors are usually older, more experienced employees who work with younger workers in formal mentoring relationships.
FACT: Mentors can be any age, and mentoring doesn’t have to be a formal working relationship. “You can have more than one mentor at a time, with different ones serving different purposes. More experienced employees can mentor younger people in how to be politically correct and how to navigate an organization. Younger employees can teach older workers how to better use social media, produce more state-of-the-art presentations, and become savvier in using mobile communications,” Huse said.
MYTH: Telephone interviews are not as important as in-person interviews.
FACT: With so many candidates available, employers are more frequently using phone interviews to screen out people. “You need to be prepared right from the start to make the most of the limited time you will have. Dress for business during the call and stand up while talking. Tape notes to a wall, and have a list of talking points arranged by topic in large letters so you can access important information without rustling through paper. Close by inquiring what the next steps will be and ask to meet in person,” said Huse.
MYTH: Keeping your online presence up to date isn’t as critical as updating your resume.
FACT: More employers are using social media sites, especially LinkedIn, to recruit potential employees. “Your online profiles may be searched for potential openings without your knowledge, and you could miss out on being contacted. LinkedIn profiles with recommendations are displayed more prominently when employers are searching for candidates. The best way to get recommendations is to give them,” said Huse.
MYTH: With competition so intense for few available jobs, most people are thoroughly preparing for interviews.
FACT: A lot of people are still trying to “wing” their way through interviews. Others are not sufficiently preparing for behavioral interviews, or adequately relating their experience to the specific opportunity. “Be ready to tell the story of how you achieved an
accomplishment, as well as to answer questions such as: ‘What should I remember about you after our meeting?’ Identify examples and situations from your experience that can be used to answer behavioral interview questions. Have the details in mind, and be able to communicate them clearly and concisely. You’ll present yourself in a more professional manner and show greater breadth of experience if you have a variety of examples,” said Huse.
MYTH: You should focus on getting a full-time job rather than on freelance and contract assignments.
FACT: The temporary help market has been picking up before the holidays. Many employers are adding temporary or project workers before deciding to hire full-time staff. “If a potential employer says they don’t have a position at present, find out what they do need to get done – and negotiate to do that for them. Temporary and contract work enables people to keep their skills current, make new networking contacts, and earn some money while looking for full-time work,” said Huse.
MYTH: Networking is over-rated.
FACT: Unfocused and haphazard approaches may make networking seem like a waste of time. Nevertheless, most of the people being hired today owe their jobs to informal contacts, rather than searching for positions online. “You should spend 75% of your job-search time implementing a targeted contact development strategy. Always ask new contacts for additional names to continue building your network. Keep your contacts in the loop with periodic updates after you have been hired, and be sure to thank all of those with whom you networked,” said Huse.