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Hannah Kane Over the course of my job search I've discovered the sheer quantity of advice that's available for job seekers, from networking tips to interview advice to the word that makes or breaks your resume. I've perused blogs, read articles, attended webinars. Sometimes the advice makes sense... other times, it seems silly, or it blatantly contradicts something else you've heard. In the end, we all need to pick the tips we think are right. How do you decide what advice to follow?

83 weeks ago from The Career Hot Seat!, Networking Tips and Interview Advice1 more

Rebecca Thorman: I look at all the tips and do what is in line with my values and what holds true with past experience and from what I hear from other people I ...MoreI look at all the tips and do what is in line with my values and what holds true with past experience and from what I hear from other people I trust. Great question!
83 weeks ago
Mehul Kar: you don't, you write your own advice. Just like Mama Cass :)
Moreyou don't, you write your own advice. Just like Mama Cass :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RhriAN7jME&feature=related
83 weeks ago
Hannah Kane: Ha! If we all followed your advice, Mehul, there would be an entire field of career experts out of a job!

One piece of advice that I've heard ...MoreHa! If we all followed your advice, Mehul, there would be an entire field of career experts out of a job!

One piece of advice that I've heard over and over is that I should be spending only 30% of my job searching time online (or 25%, or 15%, funny how statistics have a way of changing). I find this to be a particularly difficult bit of advice, but for me it's also just plain incorrect. I've been networking away, and have had many informational interviews, which have led to more informational interviews, and so forth. None have led to a solid job interview. Some have vaguely offered to send my resume to a friend, from whom I never heard. The only places that I've interviewed are positions that I found in job postings and applied. That might be because I've been applying to a lot of small nonprofits, who still rely on job postings to fill positions.

However, even if I did strive to spend only 30% of my job searching time online, I feel like I would never reach that number, even if I didn't search for job postings. If I'm asking for an informational interview, I want to research the company they work for, and also familiarize myself with any jobs they might have available. Bottom line, I decided that this particular bit of advice is silly for my job search, and I've used a multifaceted approach that combines offline networking with sending out a lot of applications.

What do you think? This seems to be the biggest piece of advice career advisers are doling out these days... has it worked for you?
83 weeks ago
Mehul Kar: so...if you spend 30% of your time job searching, does that include the time you spend tracking your time and doing the percentages and figuring ...Moreso...if you spend 30% of your time job searching, does that include the time you spend tracking your time and doing the percentages and figuring out the system? YUCK....!

I've said this before, but the future of the job market (at least for the next 10-15 years) is in job CREATION, not in filling positions. If there's a company that you would like to work for, figure out what you can offer them and offer your services. If there is value in it, they will take you up on it. It might not provide that steady paycheck to begin with, but value always multiplies exponentially.

Secondly, "careers" are outdated. You cannot spend your life as an employee in a career any more, because job descriptions change overnight. Your only hope is to capable and competent and to develop (or capitalize on) the ability to see opportunities.

But then again, I'm only 21 and oh so naive. What do I know :)
83 weeks ago
Lindsey Donner: This is a very good point. I think once you have built a skill set (interviewing, networking, et al) you can begin to take the advice with a grain ...MoreThis is a very good point. I think once you have built a skill set (interviewing, networking, et al) you can begin to take the advice with a grain of salt. I'd really like to hear young graduates' answer to this question, especially people inexperienced in job seeking. How do they separate the wheat from the chaff without any prior experience to go on? I started working young, never paid the advice any mind, and did all right; but I continue to read advice when I feel a particular skill of mine is in need of polishing. (Say, maxing out LinkedIn's potential.)
83 weeks ago
Peter Epstein: I think so much of the advice that is thrown out nowadays just becomes extra noise to most recent grads. Some sticks. Some goes in one ear and out ...MoreI think so much of the advice that is thrown out nowadays just becomes extra noise to most recent grads. Some sticks. Some goes in one ear and out the other. At the end of the day, people want personalized, individual advice, and not generalized, "follow your heart", type advice. It leads to the fact that the only advice that most people truly end up listening to is advice given from someone they trust and know... and that person is rarely someone that is found through a google search.
83 weeks ago
Ty Unglebower: In the end, all I can do is set a goal for myself in my job search, (or any field, really), and find out how I can achieve it in a way that is ...MoreIn the end, all I can do is set a goal for myself in my job search, (or any field, really), and find out how I can achieve it in a way that is comfortable for me. The job search really isn't scientific...wherein you can follow specific instructions and success comes out. It has to be tailored to the job hunter, and in order to do that, one must be as self aware as possible.

So I spend time getting to know me, and understand what I can and cannot do..and hunt accordingly.
82 weeks ago
Dr. Woody: The most important part of the journey is taking the time to really learn about yourself, your assets, your blindspots and how to make them work ...MoreThe most important part of the journey is taking the time to really learn about yourself, your assets, your blindspots and how to make them work for you!
81 weeks ago
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