As leading recruiters in Kansas City, Morgan Hunter knows if you’re searching for a new job, you’re likely getting a lot of advice from many different sources. From friends and family to neighbors and co-workers, everyone seems to have something to say about how to find a new job.
Some of the advice might benefit you and some of the advice might be downright bad. So how can you tell? To help you, here’s a look at a few pieces of “advice” you should always ignore:
Don’t send a cover letter. Hiring managers don’t read them.
Yes, it’s true not all hiring managers read cover letters. But many do. And when you’re applying for a job, how can you tell which is which? The answer is: you can’t. So always send a cover letter and always customize it to the position you’re applying for. That means including details that are most relevant to a particular job.
It’s all about numbers. Get out as many applications as you can.
Sales might be about numbers; but getting a good job is not. Why? Because when you take the above approach, you’re wasting all your time and effort on quantity and not quality. You’re likely applying to many positions you’re really not qualified for, while at the same time, not spending enough time crafting a solid cover letter and resume for the opportunities you are qualified for. It’s much more effective to send out fewer, highly targeted resumes.
You need to get aggressive and/ or creative to get the job.
This can include doing things like a) showing up at the company to apply in person, b) hounding the hiring manager after you submit your resume, or c) doing something wacky, like taking out ad space in the local paper in order to get noticed.
But all of these tactics won’t help you land a job and they could actually have a negative impact on your reputation. Instead, be professional. It’s ok to follow up occasionally, but not more than a couple of times. If a job posting instructs you to apply through mail, email or online, don’t show up in person. You may get noticed, but not in a good way.
When asked for a salary history, it’s ok to boost yours so you get the salary you want.
No, it’s not. All it takes is a phone call from the hiring manager to a past employer for your “little white lie” to be discovered. And guess what? When it is, you will be out of the running for the job.
Now you know some of the bad advice to ignore. So what good advice should you consider? You can start by giving Morgan Hunter a call. As leading recruiters in Kansas City, we’ve helped thousands of job seekers find great opportunities…and we can help you too by giving you access to the information, tips, advice and connections you need to land your next job.
Contact us today if you’re ready to learn more.