Career Tips

Here are some career tips to help remind you to do the "little" things that help, and to avoid doing the "bad" things that hurt you and your career.

Many of these things should be common sense but some might not be as obvious.

Just like little things can cause you to lose the job during the interview process, there are many other things you can do wrong (or not do at all) that can cost you.

Don’t allow yourself to become complacent at work. Or lazy or unhappy. When you allow yourself to become any of these things, chances are that the next time you put your career search into action, it will be to desperately escape from a bad situation. If you end up enacting a career search out of desperation, you might end up leaving one bad situation for another.

Don’t allow yourself to become underemployed. You know how it is…you’re in a comfortable job, you’re getting paid, no stress, things are great. Until you realize you’re underemployed and have been passed on the totem pole by people who are much less experienced that you. Or worse, until you get laid off and then are forced to start your career search again.

Remember that your attitude is always on display and that your colleagues and superiors notice it. My experiences both in the corporate world and as a recruiter have shown me that a person’s attitude is paramount and is a big determining factor in their future in a company and with future employers. Attitude is always a big determining factor during your career search especially during the interview process when your attitude is on display front and centre.

Before starting a job search, determine if you are looking for a new job or simply for a raise. If you are simply looking for a raise, there are easier ways to get one than trying to find a new job! If you are money motivated, you’re probably not the most desirable job candidate for a company looking to hire so you might consider simply asking your boss for a raise instead if you feel you are underpaid.

Take career advice with a grain of salt especially if it’s coming from someone who doesn’t have expertise in the field. There is certainly plenty of stuff on the Internet related to managing your career search. You have probably received a lot of career search advice from your friends, too! Before you follow any advice ask yourself if it makes sense and always consider the source.

Don’t manage your job search from work. Every email you send from work is kept on your company’s servers and if they monitor emails or phone calls (and many companies these days do) the last thing you need is to get caught looking for a new job while you’re being paid by someone else. Many companies have specific rules on not using their resources for personal reasons and in some cases, it can be a firing offence. Why would you risk letting your current employer know you want to leave them?

Don’t underestimate the value of keeping your resume exclusive. Recruiters often pay for Internet job boards and search them for resumes. Once a recruiter (or hiring manager for that matter) finds someone’s resume on several of these boards you start wondering why this person is apparently having such a hard time getting a job if their resume is so well-distributed. Plus, recruiters tend to have trouble finding jobs for job searchers who have their resume plastered all over job because many hiring companies have access to the same resumes. The more your resume is visible on Internet job boards, the more likely your current employer is likely to find out you’re looking for a new job. Your resume is one of the main tools you will use during your career search so protect it and remember its worth.

If you’re using Internet job sites, don’t just choose the “big ones.” There are a handful of job sites that most job searchers are aware of that certainly attract a lot of employers and job searchers. Keep in mind that there are many smaller, less well-known niche websites that might be better suited to your requirements. Using job websites that are specific to your industry or occupation might help to focus your career search and to put you in front of less competition rather than having to wade your way through the larger job boards.

Think twice about using resume-blasting services. If you believe in the old adage that if you throw enough you-know-what against the wall, something will stick, then a resume blasting service might be something you will consider during your career search. To me, using a service that sends your resume to hundreds or thousands of employers and recruiters is not an effective way of distributing your resume and cheapens your worth. As soon as legitimate employers and recruiters see that they’ve received the same resume that hundreds of other people have, they probably won’t bother with you. That’s assuming the email made it past the person's spam filter.

Similarly, don’t email your resume to numerous recruiters simultaneously by typing a bunch of email addresses into the “To” field and expecting that they will all rush to be the first to help you out. When I see that someone has sent their resume to me and 10 other recruiters at the same time, I usually delete their resume without looking. It shows a lack of sophistication and desperation. I’m not interested in competing with all of these other recruiters and helping anyone with their career search when they pull this stunt.

Don’t use a silly email address to send and receive career search correspondence. Using an email address with your name or at least something that won’t be construed as unprofessional is your best bet. If your current email address is hot4u@xyz.com or something like that, get a new one that is more professional.

Use a professional greeting on your voice message so that when a potential employer gets to your voice mail, they won’t be scared away. Like your email address, the voice message recording on the phone that you will receive calls from potential employers from should be serious. A simple “Hi, this is Carl. Please leave your name, phone number and the best time to contact you and I’ll return your call within 24 hours” should suffice. In this case you’ve told the person who they are leaving a message for, asking them to confirm when you can call them back, and indicating the timeframe that you will call them back. Make sure every aspect of your career search is professional since you could be judged on it.

Remember that your web presence can hurt you. Do you have your own personal website or blog that a potential employer could locate through a simple Google search? If you are going to be active on the Internet with a personal website, remember that people who might consider hiring you might view it and make a decision on your suitability for a job based on what they see. On that note when applying for a job, don’t bother listing a personal website URL in your resume unless your career search focuses on becoming a web designer or a related position.

Take personal responsibility for your career search. Don’t expect to put it in the hands of other people and hope that one of them will come through for you. Generally speaking, jobs don’t suddenly drop in your lap. While other people such as recruiters, your spouse and even friends might help you along the way, your ability to get a job will ultimately be determined by you. If you send out a few emails, submit your resume to a few Internet job sites and then sit back and wait for the job offers, you better get a comfy chair because you might be waiting awhile.

Consider upskilling yourself if you are missing specific education or training that could assist your career search. I have worked with some companies who will not hire staff who don’t have a university degree. They may or may not publicly announce this but I know it’s their policy. If you don’t have a university degree, you will not work for them. A lack of certain educational levels or training may hamper your career search with some companies depending on your industry. Speak with other people in your field regarding whether or not they feel your educational achievements might be holding your career search back.

Don’t apply for jobs you aren’t qualified for. This goes for sending your resume to both companies and recruiters. As a recruiter, when someone emails me their resume for a job they aren’t even close to being qualified for, it tells me that they can’t read or are very desperate. Either way, you won’t impress the person you are applying to and may end up ruining your chances at a future job that you are qualified for.



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