I debated on writing this post, but I think it’s best I share my thoughts because the current information out there can really damage people new to the job search.
On a recruitingblogs post there’s a 10 things you should know to get a job you want post.
The first tip is horrible. It says to write your own CV/resume, because $50 is a waste of money for that.
If you pay $50 you did not get a professional resume writer. You got a typist.
If I would have hired a solid professional resume writer I most likely would have avoided a lot of problems in my job search. I probably would have had more interviews, and possibly a job.
Instead I DIY’d my resume. Everyone said it looked awesome. But it was the thing keeping me out of interviews.
The second tip is horrible. Create an elevator pitch on video? I’m not going to watch it, unless it is really really bad. My guess is that yours will be mostly or moderately bad. The only good video bios I’ve seen are produced by Video Bio. Most people don’t know where to start, or what to say, or have it look good. Most people can’t even get a good 30 second pitch for any occasion.
The third tip is good. I was at a conference a couple of weeks ago and at the recruiter panel they all agreed that even though they don’t read the cover letter the first time they do want it, especially if your resume makes it to subsequent rounds. That’s when the cover letter gets read. The resume writers at the conference said to err on the safe side and send one anyway, even if it won’t be read (which is better than not sending it and them wondering where it is!). And, I hear the new cover letter is the email or LinkedIn message that you send around the time you apply.
The fourth tip is good. Be on LinkedIn. Goes without saying.
The fifth tip is…. kind of okay, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I know people do it. I would rather you spend time networking into a company WITHOUT a resume, though.
The sixth tip is good. You should definitely keep up on what your target companies are doing.
The seventh tip can be good (but controversial . I know some people who see great success with their job seeker clients distributing their resume widely. You’ll find a lot of opinions on this, but my friends share success stories regularly, and if this tactic can get you and interview and a job, give it a look.
The eight tip is fine. Don’t worry about getting on a lot of social tools, though. Figure out where your prospects are and spend your time there. If they aren’t on Twitter, Pinterest or Google+, don’t waste your time. But I bet they are on LinkedIn.
The ninth tip is excellent. I just blogged about this, and have many posts about creating your own website. It’s easy and free/cheap.
The tenth tip is good. I wouldn’t fret too much about this as long as you are communicating your LinkedIn profile, or blog or something like that, but it’s always good to know what people will find if they google you.
Okay, rant over. Some good stuff, but watch out for the first two. You might hear those again, but beware of bad advice.