Job & Internship Leads – 2.16.12

20 Mistakes to Avoid in your Career Hunt

Career hunting is tricky. With a multitude of situational variables and nuances it is a wonder that people discover work that they are passionate about and find jobs today. While career hunting requires a different approach for each person, I have noticed several mistakes that are trending with many job seekers, whether they are 25 years old or 55 years old, an executive or a recent graduate. Here are the top career hunt mistakes I regularly encounter for both career exploration and job searching:

Career Exploration:

Fuzzy Self-Insight
A lack of self-awareness is a critical mistake that many (if not most) people struggle with in their career hunts. This is truly foundation and without a solid understanding of your strengths/talents, values, personality preferences, and passions, a you will flounder be tossed by every wind that blows.

Dollars Make Sense
One tension in career decision making is between survival and self-actualization, between taking a job for financial necessity and following your dreams and passions in personally fulfilling work. Striking this balance varies from person to person, however, many wistful career hunters (of all ages) neglect to investigate the current marketplace trends. Your passions and strengths should play an important role in your career choice, however, it is always important to temper these ideals with reality and a long-term perspective on career development. Within the realistic bounds of your interests and skillset, what sorts of work are companies paying for?

Due Diligence
All too common, a client will drop their career choice due to one discouraging conversation with someone in that field. Conversely, I have also seen folks plan their future around one exciting conversation with someone who loves their job. The challenge is that each person brings a different perspective to bear on the same career path. When researching your options, ensure that you speak to at LEAST three people (ideally five) who are well into their career in your trajectory. Don’t base your decision on the opinion or experience of only one person. Take your time and research the ins and outs of an occupation before you commit.

Fear of Making the Wrong Decision
The “paralysis of analysis” is on of the deadliest career exploration mistakes that I encounter. Afraid of taking the “wrong” job or being unhappy, many individuals neglect to take action for fear of making the wrong decision. Careers are increasingly non-linear and a person’s path can lead and wind. As a mentor of mine once said with regard to career paths, “in a single lifetime, there is the possibility for many lives”. Forward movement combats inertia. If you have narrowed your options down to a reasonable set, pick one and run after it.

Giving up Choice
The gift of choice is a weighty privilege. Seeking career advice is a wise action; however, you must always realize that the choice (and consequences) ultimately rests on your shoulders. Don’t abdicate your privilege by turning a major decision making to someone else. Often I have spoken to clients who let others make critical decisions for them, only to find themselves lost and confused years later.

Poor Advisors
Each person has blind spots in their strengths and weaknesses. Seeking counsel when taking the next step in a career is one of the best decisions you can make. Create a personal advisory board, find a mentor (or two), hire a coach, and seek out friends and family members who care about your well-being above their own. Make sure that these trusted advisors won’t shy away from telling you the truth. The worst advice comes from people who only tell you what you want to hear.

Logic & Emotions
Career decisions can take a toll on your emotions. One day you feel a sense of adventure and elation and the next is beset by discouragement and shallow confidence. The balance of relying on your head and your heart is very important. There are times to trust your gut and times to analyze the facts at hand, whether you like them or not. If you tend to be more of a “thinker” or a “feeler”, make sure that you pay attention to your dominant trait, yet force yourself to take a long, hard look at the other side.

Job vs. Career
A job is very different than a career. Your occupations and career path greatly impact your lifestyle. Before choosing a job, assess the trajectory of that position and give thought to the impact that your potential career path (assuming it doesn’t change) will have on your lifestyle. You MUST take a long-term focus when making career decisions or an attractive short term offer will leave backfire in the future.

Job Hunting:

Lack of Focus
I’ll take anything! Ah, the kiss of death in a job search. It would seem rationale to “keep your options open” when looking for a job. Unfortunately, this approach is akin to a first date when the prospective partner spills that they are looking for anyone with a pulse! Instead of throwing random darts in the dark, take time to clearly define your focus. Your job search will start to fall into place.

Target List
Once you have a job search focus, your biggest weapon is a well-researched, list of job search targets (organizations and people). Not only does this direct your efforts, but it can serve as a catalyst for quality referrals, when used properly. Create a target list – if you don’t have one you might find yourself unemployed for a while.

Know Your Value
A stellar list of job search targets is the base of your job search, however, if you do not know your value – the key problems that you can solve and the solutions that you can deliver a company – then your success will be limited. In today’s hypercompetitive market, you need to be clear on your value and capable of effectively articulating it. The top candidates in any field always have jobs. Why? Because they know their value and are aware of the time and place to deliver it.

Lethargic Job Search
Input impacts output – especially in a job search. As long as you are running a professional level job search, you need to take action…and lots of it! Job hunting is part art, part effort. Doing the right things is not enough. You need a high volume of the right things. Your job search goals should include ambitious metrics that you can strive to hit every day (number of applications, number of calls or emails to setup networking meetings, etc.).

Unwillingness to Pick of the Phone
Passiveness and fear are diseases that will cripple any career hunt if not addressed. Picking up the phone to cold call or warm call a prospective employer or networking connection is highly effective, highly relational, and often terrifying! Unfortunately, if you want job search results, you need to get you out of your comfort zone. Pick up the phone and call from your target list.

Waiting to be Discovered
Sage advice for investing also applies to job searching. Diversity your portfolio and use ALL the tools that you have available. Apply to positions online, talk to staffing agencies, network like crazy and even approach employers you have never connected with via a cold call or even a bold visit. Unless you are in one of the few careers in high demand due to a scarcity of talent (think software development), you cannot afford to solely post your resume online. Nobody is looking for you.

Résumé Negligence
Sometimes I cringe in public. Usually it is when I hear someone talking about their job search and I hear the words “can I send you my résumé?” You wouldn’t use a hammer to make a sandwich, right? Likewise, your résumé is a tool that you need to learn how to use. A personal relationship ALWAYS trumps a résumé so if your friend passes you a job lead, see if you can speak with her first, ask to connect to her manager for a quick conversation, and THEN send off your résumé. Far too often a job seeker will settle by forwarding their résumé when they could have hit it off with the manager and learned a ton about the position. Lastly, if your only tool is a hammer than you can’t build a house. If your job search relies solely on your resume you are might have a long transition. Are you abusing your résumé?

Selling the Wrong Product
Picture this: an interviewer asks you the question “why should we hire you” and the job seeker responds “well I have 10 years of experience in…” pause, Charley Brown appears and suddenly we all hear “whaa whaa whaa whaa whaa”. Selling experience is a losing recipe. Every organization has problems that are begging for solutions. If your experience allows you to deliver better solutions to the problems at hand, then by all means, sell your experience – but be sure to connect the dots. In a value driven market, solutions reign and value ALWAYS trumps experience (and actually validates it).

Seductive Online Job Searching
Glazed eyes, hunched shoulders, thirsty lips. Ah, the signs of online job search seduction. If the majority of your job search involves applying for positions online then you are on your way to a backache a long job search. Online job searching by itself will not help you find a position faster. It will, however, allow you to compete with hordes of highly qualified candidates who would intimidate you if you read their resumes. Use online job searching in moderation. Apply only to positions that you are a slam dunk for and spend the rest of your time digging up opportunities.

“Networking”
At one time I used to find myself excited when a client mentioned that he or she was networking extensively. Unfortunately, I usually discovered that our definitions of networking were vastly dissimilar. Networking is confusing, ambiguous, takes time but is wildly effective. Networking is not “friending” people on Facebook or “connecting” to the masses on LinkedIn. Networking is a way of life and it is built on relationships, mutual respect, and paying it forward. If you want pump your job search with steroids then find the best connector you know and learn their networking secrets (hint: networking happens a lot in coffee shops).

No Structure
The old saying that searching for a job is a full-time job is only partially true. If you are truly spending 40 hours a week on your hunt then I applaud your diligence and perseverance. The reality is that a 40 hour job search work week is usually unreasonable; however, similar to a full-time job, your job search needs structure, systems, discipline, and goals to make it succeed. Build some structures or find someone to help you.

“Winging It”
Interviews are a big deal. If you have made it to this point then you are on the brink of winning the game or losing. Many people assume that because the are talented, personable people, that they don’t really need to prepare for an interview. The reality is that this tactic only works in a good economy when it is a “sellers market”. Today, you need to be on your “A” game and treat the interview as though you were a high-level consultant billing a large fee. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Then take some more time to prepare. Ensure that you are solving problems and not just ricocheting questions.