| WHAT
YOUR MOTHER / CAREERS TEACHER / BEST FRIENDS TOLD YOU |
JOB
MARKET REALITY |
| Jobs
are filled by people applying for published vacancies. | Only
about 20-30% of jobs are filled this way (less in executive markets). Most jobs
are never advertised. |
| It's
easier to get a job when you have one already. | True
to a point - employers like to bet on certainties, not outsiders, so they want
a recent track record. Those who have "problems" with their CVs need
to have a good narrative ready to cover gaps, reasons for change, periods of unemployment
(perhaps better considered sabbaticals?) |
| It's
who you know, not what you know. | True,
but it's not about old boy networks. Making new connections will increase your
chance of being seen. Employers hire the experience and motivation they see in
a CV, but these factors are communicated even better by word of mouth. |
| Getting an interview is a
matter of luck. | Luck
is a mixture of pure chance and the law of averages. Improve your luck by adopting
a multi-strategy job search method. |
| Qualifications
count. | Employers
often have a blinkered view of what qualifications they need. The key question
is: what is the standard for the relevant job or industry? Where job seekers don't
have the right qualifications, they need to stress the intellectual standards
achieved through work experience. |
| You
need good references. | Very
few employers use reference checking to screen applicants before interview. Mostly
references are a final check. Most job applicants worry too much about references,
and they are rarely a major influence behind a job offer. |
| Send as many CVs out as you can.
| It's
estimated that a busy employer spends on average about 17 seconds reading a CV.
Speculative letters and CVs do work and can gain access to the hidden job market,
but only if they are extremely well targeted, have great cover letters, and are
followed-up by personal contact. |
| Sometimes
you have to push yourself forward. | "Sometimes"?
It's the idea of "pushing" that puts people off, as if you are advertising
something shoddy. Don't claim to be what you are not, but present the best version
of yourself, and a clear message of what you can do for an employer. |
| Only pushy people get jobs
through networking. | Not
true. Networking works for everyone, and can take a variety of styles. Think of
it as extending your friendship groups by asking people to tell you about the
job they enjoy doing. |
A
job's a job. Think of the money.
Good jobs are hard to find.
| The
worst advice of all. You spend more time in work than in any other waking activity.
Why shouldn't you have a job where you can really make a difference? |
