Job Hunting - Myths

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

03 Aug 2007 01:45 PM

Looking for a job is probably one of the most frustrating things we do. In part, it's because obtaining a job is crucial to the individual and family survival. Modern corporate America can take as long as two months to call you back after receiving your resume and while their human resource departments may have plenty of time to find an applicant, you don't always have plenty of time to wait to be found.

So let's talk about some myths associated with job hunting and resume submission in order to help speed your personal process along:

Blanketing Every Available Job with Your Resume

It's called carpet bombing your resume and the idea is that you are playing the numbers game. If you submit 100+ resumes a week, surely someone will call you back, right? Wrong. I can tell you from personal experience that lots of resumes end up in File 13 (the trash bin) because HR reps don't have the desire or the wherewithal to read every word of every resume.

So you have two choices, you can use network contacts (friends, family, former co-workers) to get your resume in the door. Your chances rise exponentially if you get a personal recommendation. Also, carpet bombing your resume isn't going to get you noticed for another potential job - you want to be the right person for the right job.

Your Resume Does Your Talking

Your resume is the written equivalent of ringing the doorbell. The company will either respond to it or not. If they do get you in the front door, you need to sell yourself to them. You need to present yourself as someone they want to hire and it will be based on skills, talents, job experience and your ability to sell it. So don't think a perfect resume is the guarantee of the perfect position, it's just one aspect of your job hunting.

The More Applicants There Are, The Less Chance You Have

Whether you are the first one interviewed or the fifteenth one to walk through the door for an interview. You need to conduct and comport yourself professionally. Don't give up because there are a lot of other applicants. The simple truth is companies don't hire the first person through the door, they don't hire the hundredth person through the door - they hire the best person they meet who fulfills their qualifications.

If you're looking for a job right now, hang in there and good luck.

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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