7 Common Job Hunting Myths

COMMON JOB HUNTING MYTHS

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7

“Being unemployed puts you at a tremendous disadvantage when

you’re looking for a job”

Myth # 1:

Employers today understand there

are many reasons qualified workers

are unemployed. Downsizings, mergers,

and restructurings, etc.

“You should give 100% effort

to every job lead you uncover”

Myth # 2:

This truism has a nice, inspirational ring

to it but if you follow it to the letter, you’re

going to burn out very quickly.

Be willing to investigate and pursue

every job lead that comes your way,

but you NEED TO PRIORITIZE.

Focus your effort on leads that are most

likely to result in an offer you would accept.

The number of leads you uncover isn’t

the only factor to finding the kind of job

you want. It’s the QUALITY of those

leads and your efforts that count.

“Finding a job is harder than any job you will ever have”

Myth # 3:

The hardest part is dealing with all

the pressures — psychological,

familial, and financial — that often

arise during the course of a job search.

The truth is, you don’t need innate

talent or highly specialized skills to

conduct a successful job search.

You simply need to do a lot of the things

you already know how to do in a focused,

disciplined, and systematic way.

“When you’re unemployed, you

can’t afford to turn down a job offer”

Myth # 4:

Depending upon any number of factors —

time, finances, sanity level — you may

have to accept a job offer that you’re not

really thrilled about. Don’t assume you

have to accept the first job you’re offered,

unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Temporary work or freelancing can help

keep the wolf away from your door and

allow you to keep your job search going

until you get an offer that makes sense.

“The only way to get a good job in many industries is to have

the right connections”

Myth # 5:

Having the right connections is an

enormous advantage in any business

endeavor. But a major part of conducting a

successful job hunt is making the connections

you need as your search progresses.

“Being good at interviews is the

most important job hunting skill”

Myth # 6:

The ability to make a strong, positive

impression is a valuable skill.

But before you can put those interviewing

skills to use, you have to know how to

convert job leads into interview opportunities.

“The only person you can really depend on in a job search is yourself”

Myth # 7:

You need plenty of help from friends,

family members, network contacts, and,

in some cases, recruiters and professional

career counselors.

Early on in your job search, you need

to figure out what help you need, how

to access that help, and how to show

your gratitude when you get it.

JUMP-START YOUR JOB HUNT WITH THESE FOR DUMMIES BOOKS:

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Content from Job Hunting for Dummies by Max Messmer. Learn more: http://bit.ly/JobHuntingFD