#039 - The 11 Job Search Myths: Avoid Them At All Costs

There’s a ton of content about the job search and said content can be separated into the same three qualities as the 1966 Clint Eastwood film:

• The Good

• The Bad

• The Ugly

(The fact the official title of the film doesn’t have an Oxford comma kills me.)

The good? That’s content made by people who have either been in recruiting or been a hiring manager for a while and is based on facts, not fear-mongering.

The bad? That’s content made by people who have some recruiting or hiring experience but they’re not yet a seasoned content creator. (It’s okay, we all start somewhere.)

The ugly? That’s content that’s made by ‘influencers’ who have never recruited or hired in their life - or perhaps they did it for 20 minutes - and includes maybe a tiny bit of useful content here and there but mostly contains myths. But, because we tend to equate number of followers with authority, lots of people listen to it. And action it. And then, inevitably, feel disappointed and frustrated when it doesn’t work.

A good rule to follow is this: don't eat yellow snow.

But a more relevant good rule to follow is this: don’t listen to job search advice if the person giving it has no background in recruitment or hiring.

Would you go to a heart surgeon who had no background in heart surgery?

Would you go to a mechanic who’d ever only read about fixing cars?

If you wanted to become a Pokémon Master, would you go to me or to Ash Ketchum?

(I’m flattered but please go to Ash.)

So.

With that said.

Let’s dispense with some of these myths you’ll almost definitely see and hear about while on your job search: