Postal Letter

10 Mistakes Job Seekers Make

Summary: The key to landing a job isn so much what you do says career coach Ford Myers as what not to do Myers author of Get The Job You Want Even When No One Hiring John Wiley Sons 2009 spoke to TheStreet about 10 common mistakes made by job hunters MISTAKE 1 RESPONDING TO ONLINE JOB POSTINGS Myers says online job postings much like print based ant ads may seem a direct conduit to employers but often have little value He doesn say they should be ignored Ads in specialty trade publications and on niche websites can offer good leads In most cases however he suggests spending no more than 5 of your time on public job postings uring the last five years I can only think of two clients who ever got a job from an online job posting whereas I have hundreds who got their jobs through other means Does it work sometimes Yes but very rarely I just don believe in it unless you are talking about a job at McDonald flipping burgers MISTAKE 2 MAILING UNSOLICITED RESUMES Unsolicited resumes are often discarded or filed away in a drawer and soon forgotten Myers says t is what I call the onfetti approach quot he says t is like you are taking your resume spreading it around the world like confetti and just wondering where or when one of those little pieces will land It is a desperate measure and it comes off as one Is there a chance it might land on just the right person desk at just the right time Yes there is a chance But that chance is so small it is absurd to even try It doesn come across as sophisticated or business savvy to be dropping your resume all over It is just wasting trees MISTAKE 3 LOOKING ONLY FOR JOB OPENINGS The best jobs are rarely announced openings Myers says estimating that more than 40 of positions are created for or tailored to an impressive applicant very business has needs problems and challenges he says f you are smart enough to uncover them and connect your assets strengths and experiences then that will lead to a job offer Why hang out with 500 other job applicants I rather be the only one who is contacting a company with solutions to their problems MISTAKE 4 INEFFECTIVE NETWORKING Networking should be the primary focus of every job search Myers says Personal introductions can open doors for opportunities that might otherwise escape you He stresses that networking doesn mean just putting out feelers among those you know in your profession ake a list of everyone on the planet who knows your name he says ou would be amazed at how many people even executives get their job from the most unlikely people and sources their barber the mailman their auto mechanic their dry cleaner their next door neighbor or their kid friend parents That the way the world works You have to talk to everyone not just people in your field or who are in a position to hire you MISTAKE 5 LEAVING YOURSELF OPEN TO MANY KINDS OF JOBS Myers says another key to a successful job search is to focus on finding the right job not ust any job Job hunters need to factor in satisfaction growth potential location cultural fit a pleasing environment and competitive compensation ost people would say his is a terrible job market I better take anything and apply for everything quot he says don believe in that at all except in the most extreme situations Even in this very tough job market you need to be more focused than ever MISTAKE 6 LACK OF PLANNING Various studies have shown that most people spend more time planning a vacation than a job search A successful job search will require a well thought out methodology daily solitude and planning space in the home dedicated to the search and self policed accountability Myers says MISTAKE 7 SEARCHING ALONE Myers as expected recommends obtaining professional help with your job search It doesn have to be costly however In addition to professional career coaches job search help can be found inexpensively or free from a variety of organizations libraries and even churches MISTAKE 8 LETTING OTHERS CONTROL YOUR SEARCH Although he is a proponent of getting professional and qualified job hunting help Myers says doing so shouldn detract from your own efforts nly you can sell yourself effectively and land a job he says ven if you are working with recruiters you need to control the process You need to manage the recruiter the way you would manage a team of employees MISTAKE 9 NOT PREPARING WELL ENOUGH FOR INTERVIEWS hen you boil it down all job interviews are comprised of five basic elements articulating your value conveying your knowledge of the company asking intelligent questions negotiating compensation and following up Myers says ach of these items has to be practiced in advance so you can ace the job interview Winging it just won do He adds that a good interview should e a 50 50 active dialogue where you have two professionals checking each other out to see if there is a potential match and mutual benefit MISTAKE 10 NOT KNOWING YOUR MARKET VALUE Research and assess your value in the marketplace before you attend even an initial interview Myers says adding that you should never initially disclose your salary requirements Get the employer to name the salary or range first When they have made it clear that you are their top candidate negotiate as needed Otherwise you run the risk of undervaluing yourself or conversely pricing yourself out of the job Written by Joe Mont in Boston The key to landing a job isn so much what you do says career coach Ford Myers as what not to do Myers author of Get The Job You Want Even When No One Hiring John Wiley Sons 2009 spoke to TheStreet about 10 common mistakes made by job hunters MISTAKE 1 RESPONDING TO ONLINE JOB POSTINGS Myers says online job postings much like print based ant ads may seem a direct conduit to employers but often have little value He doesn say they should be ignored Ads in specialty trade publications and on niche websites can offer good leads In most cases however he suggests spending no more than 5 of your time on public job postings uring the last five years I can only think of two clients who ever got a job from an online job posting whereas I have hundreds who got their jobs through other means Does it work sometimes Yes but very rarely I just don believe in it unless you are talking about a job at McDonald flipping burgers MISTAKE 2 MAILING UNSOLICITED RESUMES Unsolicited resumes are often discarded or filed away in a drawer and soon forgotten Myers says t is what I call the onfetti approach quot he says t is like you are taking your resume spreading it around the world like confetti and just wondering where or when one of those little pieces will land It is a desperate measure and it comes off as one Is there a chance it might land on just the right person desk at just the right time Yes there is a chance But that chance is so small it is absurd to even try It doesn come across as sophisticated or business savvy to be dropping your resume all over It is just wasting trees MISTAKE 3 LOOKING ONLY FOR JOB OPENINGS The best jobs are rarely announced openings Myers says estimating that more than 40 of positions are created for or tailored to an impressive applicant very business has needs problems and challenges he says f you are smart enough to uncover them and connect your assets strengths and experiences then that will lead to a job offer Why hang out with 500 other job applicants I rather be the only one who is contacting a company with solutions to their problems MISTAKE 4 INEFFECTIVE NETWORKING Networking should be the primary focus of every job search Myers says Personal introductions can open doors for opportunities that might otherwise escape you He stresses that networking doesn mean just putting out feelers among those you know in your profession ake a list of everyone on the planet who knows your name he says ou would be amazed at how many people even executives get their job from the most unlikely people and sources their barber the mailman their auto mechanic their dry cleaner their next door neighbor or their kid friend parents That the way the world works You have to talk to everyone not just people in your field or who are in a position to hire you MISTAKE 5 LEAVING YOURSELF OPEN TO MANY KINDS OF JOBS Myers says another key to a successful job search is to focus on finding the right job not ust any job Job hunters need to factor in satisfaction growth potential location cultural fit a pleasing environment and competitive compensation ost people would say his is a terrible job market I better take anything and apply for everything quot he says don believe in that at all except in the most extreme situations Even in this very tough job market you need to be more focused than ever MISTAKE 6 LACK OF PLANNING Various studies have shown that most people spend more time planning a vacation than a job search A successful job search will require a well thought out methodology daily solitude and planning space in the home dedicated to the search and self policed accountability Myers says MISTAKE 7 SEARCHING ALONE Myers as expected recommends obtaining professional help with your job search It doesn have to be costly however In addition to professional career coaches job search help can be found inexpensively or free from a variety of organizations libraries and even churches MISTAKE 8 LETTING OTHERS CONTROL YOUR SEARCH Although he is a proponent of getting professional and qualified job hunting help Myers says doing so shouldn detract from your own efforts nly you can sell yourself effectively and land a job he says ven if you are working with recruiters you need to control the process You need to manage the recruiter the way you would manage a team of employees MISTAKE 9 NOT PREPARING WELL ENOUGH FOR INTERVIEWS hen you boil it down all job interviews are comprised of five basic elements articulating your value conveying your knowledge of the company asking intelligent questions negotiating compensation and following up Myers says ach of these items has to be practiced in advance so you can ace the job interview Winging it just won do He adds that a good interview should e a 50 50 active dialogue where you have two professionals checking each other out to see if there is a potential match and mutual benefit MISTAKE 10 NOT KNOWING YOUR MARKET VALUE Research and assess your value in the marketplace before you attend even an initial interview Myers says adding that you should never initially disclose your salary requirements Get the employer to name the salary or range first When they have made it clear that you are their top candidate negotiate as needed Otherwise you run the risk of undervaluing yourself or conversely pricing yourself out of the job Written by Joe Mont in Boston

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