7 Job Seeker and Employee Myths
- It’s not what you know, but who you know: While true in some instances, any company looking to increase profits can only carry so much deadwood among employees. That means the best and brightest have to be hired or the company will sink.
- My resume is the most important aspect of the job search: Erroneous. I’ve looked at a lot of resumes. They’re boring (even the good ones). I used them to make sure that people claiming to have “attention to detail” actually did. Spelling and grammatical errors indicated to me if they did or not. Otherwise, I need to talk to someone to know if they’re right for a job. Even then, it’s tough.
- I can’t get a raise if it’s not the right time in my company’s evaluation cycle: Nope. Any valuable employee should be able to ask for, and receive, a raise. If the employee is truly valuable, the company won’t be able to afford letting him or her go. Proceed with caution – companies on the financial ropes may be an exception.
- My boss is an idiot: Well, this one is actually true sometimes. Bullshit occasionally rises to the top, but it’s hard for it to remain there. Keep in mind, however, that just because your boss may not understand your specialty doesn’t make him an idiot. His job is (likely) to manage you and others, so his skill set will be notably different from your own. Of course, as I’ve noted, your boss may in fact be an idiot. It’s just that sometimes an honest look at one’s self is required to truly determine if that’s the case. Maybe he’s quite intelligent, but a real jerk. Then, you’ll have to amend your lament to “My boss is smart, but he’s an asshole.”
- I shouldn’t question my boss: Tread lightly, of course, but you can and should question your boss, or make suggestions, if you have good ones to make. Be polite, or even make your ideas seem like reflections of your boss’s ideas if you’re really concerned. Ultimately, however, communication should move in two directions in a good boss/employee relationship. If your boss does fall into the category noted in #4 above, perhaps you can skip this one.
- I’ll just go to Monster.com to find a new job: You and everyone else. Way to differentiate yourself…I prefer the magnificent Insourced job search application, but if you can’t take my word for it, Indeed.com is very good too
Now, I’m not a Monster basher. What they’ve done is impressive. Sure, they’re the “big guys” out there, the company many cheer against. All I’m saying is that there are other options….and some are better. - My headhunter / recruiter cares about me: Sorry headhunters and recruiters of the world, but you know you just want the placement fee. These folks aren’t bad people, but they have a job to do. No, it’s not to get you a job, it’s to put food on their proverbial tables (and a Mercedes in the garage). Seriously though, I have friends who are recruiters. They’re good people, but they still need to look out for number one…as we all do….as YOU do.
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