While most people who come to me recognize they need assistance in writing a resume, I’ve discovered that beyond that job search misconceptions are prevalent — even among the most successful professionals — and particularly if it’s been awhile since they’ve job hunted. While some job search truths from past decades still hold water, others are outdated.
Below are three common job search truths debunked:
#1 I MUST APPLY ONLINE TO GET A JOB
DEFINITELY FALSE. A strategy of applying online is not likely to get you very far – no matter how well suited you think you are. Why?
It’s hard to guess what is going on behind the scenes at a company. A manager may have someone in line for the role – but is having them go through the process to ensure compliance with HR regulations. Or the role gets posted just in time for a senior manager to announce a corporate restructure.
Regardless of why, there are countless reasons why you should review postings, but not hang your hat on them.
Respond within 72 hours of a job appearing to have your best shot, and continue to peruse job boards to get a sense of which companies are hiring.
#2 MY RESUME MUST GET PAST APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE (ATS) SYSTEMS TO GET A CALL
SOMEWHAT TRUE, AND A LITTLE FALSE. While it’s true that at some point, your resume may be subjected to ATS or software screening, your best bet is to network effectively to ensure your resume is seen by a human PRIOR to being read by a machine.
Whether you wind up getting assistance in writing a resume or go DIY — know that this is your resume’s best shot at getting grabbed and redistributed once the screening requirement is complete.
#3 IF MY LINKEDIN ROCKS, RECRUITERS WILL COME TO ME
TRUE – SOMETIMES. A great profile is sometimes, but not always, a silver bullet leading to recruiter outreach.
The best strategy to get as much traffic as possible to your LinkedIn profile is to remain active – through outreach, content sharing and group participation.
The greater the LinkedIn activity, the higher you will rank within the feeds of your connections. Perhaps just as important, recruiters tend to reach out to actively engaged users than those with a stagnant profile.
Previously appeared in WorkItDaily
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