Finding a job is tough. Figuring out how to use all the advice you get can be even tougher!
Advice is one thing you are sure to receive plenty of during your search. All of it will sound good.
To save time on figuring out what to use, I apply the following rules of thumb.
For advice on how to organize or run your search:
Understand if the person providing the advice has ever been in job search. If not, then it’s less likely that you can use it, since it’s usually more theoretical than practical.
When it comes to recruiters, they can give you a job search from a recruiter’s perspective – but again if they have not been in search themselves, beyond working with recruiters their advice is more of exposure versus experience.
For advice on how to pitch Yourself:
A colleague of mine, Peter Van Nest, who had been in transition before, took me to task for not have a sharp message. He stopped our meeting after ten minutes and took me a step-by-step in getting it together. This advice was pure gold and the type you should openly seek – as everyone who meets you can give you feedback.
Again, while I don’t want to pick on recruiters, but remember that they are working for companies so their advice of making a candidate look good is also a method to receiving a fee. So just keep that in the back of your mind. (At my website, I have a great post from Marcia Ballinger on how to work with recruiters – just look under the “You and Recruiters” section).
The benefit of meeting so many people is getting different point of views – so hopefully these will help you sort through them.
Good luck today!
Mark Richards