Job-hunting is constantly changing and it can be difficult to keep up with the new ways to find jobs that will get you the best results. Throughout our lives we get passed information, tips and tricks from well-meaning relatives or friends who secured their places years back, but how useful actually are these? We’re here to set the record straight on how to find the job for you and the outdated job advice you need to forget.
 

Sticking with it

You may have heard a resounding tut from older relatives when you’ve said that you want to change jobs. ‘You’ve got a good job there, why do you want to throw it all away?’ might be the question. Simply put, don’t listen.
Career length is now is wildly different than how it used to be when many stayed in a job for life. It’s frequently suggested that Millennial’s love to job-hop more than previous generations and Forbes says that this frequent change can benefit your job prospects in the long run. If you’re feeling bored in your job you can check out our tips on how to make it more manageable for now while you look for something that will actually make you happy.
 

Entering the Twilight Zone

You may still believe that using the ‘spray and pray’ method, or sending your CV out to every job going and hoping for the best will work, but this is possibly at the top of the outdated job advice you need to forget.
Don’t just blanket companies with CV’s, you’re better targeting companies specifically and trying to establish some sort of relationship first to have success. Even contacting them to get the name of an actual person that you can send your information to rather than putting it in a ‘recruitment@gmail.com’ void is a step in the right direction.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda

People with good intentions can often go about things in the wrong way and this can often take the form of pushy parents saying you ‘should get another qualification’ or ‘you would do better if you just had this…’ Don’t get us wrong, having strong qualifications is always good and will impress potential employers, but an excellent personality and non-education related skills are just as important.
Don’t let others pressure you into doing something that you don’t want to, you need to know your own strengths. Also, if you’re doing something because you should, chances are you won’t enjoy it or reap the benefits.

Don’t apply until the ink’s dry

You may have heard through the grapevine that your dream company will be posting a job soon in your field but there’s no sight of it on their website yet. You may think you need to wait until it gets published to apply, but this is another part of the outdated job advice you need to forget.
If you heard it from someone, ask how they learned the information – did it come from someone inside the company that they know? You might be able to speak to that connection and enquire about the role, or contact the hiring manager from the company to express your interest. This will show that you are keen and they may even ask for your details before it’s been officially listed.

Buzzing like a buzzard

You might not hear this from older generations, but certain friends might swear that packing your CV with buzzwords is the way to go. Ignore their ‘driven’ nature and ‘dedication’ to giving you bad advice.
Some of the top buzzwords to avoid that appear in an abundance of CV’s are ‘motivated,’ ‘initiative,’ ‘social,’ ‘organised,’ ‘friendly,’ and ‘leader’ and there are better, more original ways of expressing similar sentiments for all of them. Instead of picking a decorative word to describe you, tell them what you actually did. Using terms like ‘achieved,’ ‘negotiated,’ or ‘improved’ when stating the facts of how you benefited previous companies are more likely to impress.
 
If you now think you know how to handle it and you’re ready to impress, save the stress and see how we can help!