A lot of jobseekers fret about what job postings say: I have most but not all requirements, so should I submit anyway? I am overqualified, so should I dumb down my resume? I am afraid to look “old” so should I omit my date of graduation?
A lot of jobseekers fret about what job postings say: I have most but not all requirements, so should I submit anyway? I am overqualified, so should I dumb down my resume? I am afraid to look “old” so should I omit my date of graduation?
Jobseekers also fret about not hearing back after submitting to numerous postings: There is no name to follow up with! There is no description of the process! I submitted and then found out the job didn’t exist!
Stop reading job postings! Job postings are often inaccurate. Many postings are copy and paste jobs from older postings, and it’s like the game of telephone where over time the true meaning gets lost in transit. Sometimes postings linger after the job has changed or been filled. Sometimes the posting lists a wish list where only 2 or 3 of the requirements are actually required. Recruiters have lots to do, and managing the job postings is not top of the list.
Stop reading job postings! Most jobs are filled by networking. When you spend the majority of your search time scanning and responding to postings you may feel busy but you are not being productive. By focusing on job postings you focus your time on passive, low probability activities. Essentially, you cede control of your search to the people behind the posting and whether or not they happen to read your submission.
To launch a proactive job search, you need to stop reading job postings and instead find and create opportunities that are tailored to you. Know your interests, your skills, your experience. Market these effectively according to what you offer and where your passion lies, not force fitting yourself into what any one posting happens to say. Be bold and put yourself out there, and don’t rely on someone having to find you among thousands.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
Why Conventional Wisdom On Work Flexibility Is Always Wrong
In a previous post, I wrote about why employment statistics are always wrong. In a similar way, conventional wisdom on work flexibility is always wrong. It is impossible to generalize something that is inherently case-by-individual case. Therefore, any boilerplate advice or conventional wisdom is bound to omit a key consideration, underweight or overemphasize other considerations, or take too long-term or short-term of a view.
