Top 8 Job Search Mistakes

That Can Keep You from Getting the Job You Want

Been searching for a while and aren't getting the results you want? Or maybe you’re just starting a job search and want to avoid mistakes. Take a look at the following blunders to be sure that your job search campaign isn't sidelined by these 8 common job search mistakes!

Mistake # 1:

Acting as if the job search is about you

From your perspective, of course you want a job. Therefore, it's only natural to assume that the process of searching for a job is all about you. But when it comes to hiring, it's all about the company.

Organizations don't hire people because they want to give people jobs. They hire people because they have a specific need that must be met.

Unless you can demonstrate how your skills and strengths can help meet a specific need of an organization, you simply aren't relevant to that company… even if you're the most highly skilled person in the world. Discover the needs of the target company first, then position yourself as the best solution to those needs.

Mistake # 2:

Not knowing yourself and your value

Starting a job search without first understanding your career interests, skills, values, and personality is like starting a road trip without a map. You can drive forward, but you probably won't end up where you want to be.

Where do you draw your joy in life? What are you most proud of? What do you think you’re best at? Not sure how to do it? Get career guidance from a trained career consultant like those at Clear Ambition.com.

Self-knowledge is the foundation for your entire job search campaign:

1. It will help you determine how to aim your job search at the right job targets
2. It will help you communicate what value you can bring to a company
3. It will enable you to give others the information they need to help you

Mistake # 3:

Not being able to clearly communicate how you fit what the company needs

Refer to Mistake #1. Unless you can demonstrate how your skills and strengths can help meet a specific need of an organization, you simply aren't relevant to that company. This requires that you do your homework to discover what the company’s needs are.

Learn as much as you can about the company's focus areas and needs, and then use the company's own language to describe what you can do for them.

Mistake # 4:

Not adequately researching the companies you are targeting

You can't possibly present yourself as a viable solution to a need if you don’t know what the need is. Use the company's web site, annual reports, press releases, investor reports, message boards, and sites like Wetfeet.com, Vault.com, and Hoovers.com to uncover:

1. The company's vision and mission (these are important words to play back to the employer)
2. Key objectives and focus areas
3. Key issues (internal or external)
4. General financial health

Use informational networking meetings with people who know the company to learn about the culture and what it's like to work there. Never approach a company unless you've researched it first!

Mistake # 5:

Targeting only companies with advertised job openings

It is estimated that approximately 70-80% of opportunities are never advertised. By limiting yourself to only companies advertising your ideal position, you are missing a huge segment of potential openings.

“Backfill” opportunities for departmental restructurings, underperforming employees, and promotions are typically known far in advance by management. But they aren't advertised in advance. In addition, many hiring managers don't know what they need until they see it… meaning you!

By approaching companies that fit your ideal parameters and demonstrating the value you could bring to their organization, you may be considered for a position that hasn't been vacated, or… doesn't even exist yet!

Mistake # 6:

Sending your materials to the wrong person

The Internet has made it much easier to approach companies. Too easy. Companies receive hundreds, often thousands, of emailed resumes. Where do most go? To the Human Resources Department. Most of the submissions are never even looked at.

If you want to be considered for a position, you must get your materials in the hands of the hiring decision maker.

Start by finding out who it is. If you are making an unsolicited approach, use a networking referral to make direct contact. If responding to an advertised job, follow the instructions - which typically means going through HR. If you don't get a response, write a letter to the hiring decision maker and reference the fact that you have already sent your information to HR.

Remember: HR doesn't make the hiring decision!

Mistake # 7:

Not using “Impact Stories” to bring your interviews alive

Resumes are boring to read. They are necessary, but represent the dry, bare bones of your experience.

Resumes rarely convince someone to hire you. What convinces someone to hire you are the stories and examples you share about your past accomplishments. “Impact” stories bring your skills to life by explaining exactly how you used them to get a result. They help the decision maker believe you can use those same skills to solve his/her problems.

Give the decision maker something to remember you by. Share your impact stories!

Mistake # 8:

Not using networking to open the door to a target company

You are targeting a specific company. You have identified the hiring decision maker. You have tailored your resume. You are ready to send an introductory letter with your resume. Right?

Wrong. To the decision maker, you'll look just like everyone else… a faceless document (or series of megabytes). People hire people, and they listen to those they trust. By getting a referral from someone he/she knows, you are automatically qualifying yourself for consideration. In fact, with a referral, the decision maker is actually obligated by his/her relationship to review your materials.

If you don't know someone at the company, consider joining an online networking site like LinkedIn.com to find someone who does.

Break out of the pack… get a referral!

PREVENTING MISTAKES

Whether you're a first time job seeker, changing careers, reentering the workforce, or considering semi-retirement, you don't need to face these challenges alone. Try career guidance from a trained career consultant. They can help you:

1. Discover your interests and strengths
2. Determine how to focus and target your job search
3. Learn how to present your value in way that is relevant to your target
4. Carefully consider your options so you choose the one that fits best

The Hidden Cost of College

If you were asked how many years it takes to earn a Bachelor's Degree from college, you would probably say four years right? Unfortunately, if you go by the averages, you'd be off by two years. Two extra years of college can cost you thousands of dollars.

It's No Longer “4-Year College”

According to a study by the U.S. Department of Education, the average time it takes to earn a Bachelor's Degree is now 6.2 years. Only 36% of those who begin public 4 year college graduate in 4 years!

Why is it taking longer? Research shows that there are a handful of key reasons:

1. Just Enough to Get By

   Many students view college as an entitlement. They go to college not because they see value in it, but because it's the norm... it's what is expected. As a result, these students do just enough to get by. Without the motivation, direction, or focus, they take longer to graduate or ultimately, drop out.

2. Not Prepared

   Many students simply aren't prepared for the academic challenge of college. Without planning early in their high school years, they opt out of the more challenging classes that would have prepared them for college. As a result, when they reach college, they need remedial courses to catch up.

3. "I'll Decide Later"

   Some students don't take the time to think through what they'll do after they graduate. Without some idea of their interests and aspirations, they find it easier to postpone decisions about their future. College becomes a comfortable place to hangout until they decide.

4. Transfers

   Studies have shown that students who transfer from one college to another (even once), typically take longer to graduate.

5. Changing Majors

   It is not at all unusual for college students to change their majors. But the further a student is into their college experience, the greater impact changing majors can have on meeting graduation requirements.

6. Working Their Way Through College

   With today's high cost of college, many students are having to work their way through school. Juggling the demands of both school and a job can delay graduation.

   
   

The Cost of Delayed Graduation

Based on 2006-07 national data from The College Board, if a student takes 6 years to graduate, the cost difference could be anywhere from $33,000 to $67,000 more than planned! The data shows that the average cost of attending a 4-year college including tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies is:

	Per Year	4 Years	6 Years
4-Year Public In-State:	$16,357	$65,428	$98,142
4-Year Public Out-of-State:	$26,304	$105,216	$157,824
4-Year Private:	$33,301	$133,204	$199,806

Don't Pay for “Just Getting By”

Many factors such as financial aid will determine what you'll actually pay for college. But why spend any more money than you have to? College is too expensive to assume a “just get by” approach. Focus on the things that you can control to insure on-time graduation, and college doesn't have to be a 6 year journey.

Step 1:	Increase Self-Knowledge. The more a student knows about his/her own interests, strengths, and aspirations, the easier it is to focus and direct one's educational path.
Step 2:	Plan Ahead. By taking advanced placement classes in high school, students accomplish two things. First, they increase their chances of getting accepted to the college of their choice. And second, they can actually "place out" of college level classes which can accelerate earning a degree.
Step 3:	Get Guidance. College is a big investment. Getting advice from someone trained in education and career guidance can save you time and money. Guidance can replace guesswork with a planned approach to deciding which college to attend, what to major in, and how to align an education with best-fit career options.

Falling Between The Cracks

Why Students Are Not Getting the Career and Education Guidance They Need

Most parents assume that schools are providing the necessary college and career planning guidance to their children. But findings gleaned from over 10 years of research studies reveal that students are not getting the help they need to make good decisions about life after high school.

How Much Counseling Time Does Each Student Get?

38 minutes per year is the estimated amount of time the average student receives from a school counselor on college advising. This statistic is based on national averages of student-to-counselor ratios and counselor time allocation research according to 2005 report entitled Counseling and College Counseling in America's High Schools by Dr. Patricia McDonough.

This of course is an average. While the actual amount of time varies widely by school and by student, interviews with parents reveal that it is a large concern. Despite the best of intentions, the level of personalized guidance provided is not evenly distributed to all students.

“My child is a solid student. He isn't at the top of his class, but he's not struggling either. The school clearly pays the most attention to the students that standout… either at the top, or the bottom. If you aren't in one of those groups, you fall between the cracks and don't get much personal attention,” said the mother of a senior from a large Connecticut public high school.

Not Enough Counselors… Too Many Demands

A quick look at the student-to-counselor ratios across the nation shows that there simply are not enough guidance counselors at each school to support the volume of students and all the demands placed on the counselors.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends one counselor for every 100 students, or a 100:1 ratio. The actual student-to-counselor ratio across the nation's high schools is estimated to be 315:1. That is three times the recommended level according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES).

In some states, such as California, Minnesota, Arizona and Utah, the average is well over 500:1.

School counselors are expected to handle issues ranging from attendance, discipline, drug and alcohol abuse, sexuality and pregnancy, suicide prevention, and personal crisis along with academic testing and a host of other administrative duties assigned to them.

Where does this leave college and career planning services? They are considered “nice to haves” in many schools because the time and resources aren't there to support them.

Not Only a Public School Issue

The average student-to-counselor ratio in private high schools is estimated to be 241:1 according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. While this ratio is better then the public school ratio of 315:1, it is still over two times the ASCA's recommendation of 100:1.

Even though private school student-to-counselor ratios are better, parents report that the guidance their children receive is almost exclusively focused on college counseling and placement, not on what the students will do with their education once they graduate.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

Regardless of whether your child attends public or private school, here are some tips to make sure that he/she receives the guidance needed to make wise and informed decisions about his/her future:

• Don't assume your child is getting enough college and career guidance at school
• Find out what the student-to-counselor ratio is at your child's school
• Contact the school's guidance department to learn what kind of personal counseling is provided:
  • When and how much 1-on-1 college guidance is provided?
  • When and how much 1-on-1 career planning guidance is provided?
• Talk with your child. Ask the following questions:
  • Have you taken interest, skills, values, and personality assessments at school?
  • Has the school counselor helped you understand what the assessments mean?
  • Has the school counselor met with you 1-on-1 to discuss career possibilities?
  • Has the school helped you plan your college search based on your career interests?
• Investigate increasing the personal guidance your child receives with a program like Clear Ambition (www.clearambition.com) or ask the school about other possible resources.

Sources & Additional Reading

For more information about school guidance counseling, please refer to the following sources:

McDonough, P. Counseling and College Counseling In America’s High Schools. National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Page 16. (2005) http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/6245DAEA-2DCB-4C5F-84BA-50D3F4124754/0/WhitePaper_McDonough.pdf

Parsad, B., Alexander, D., Farris, E., Hudson, L. High School Guidance Counseling, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 2003-015). http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003015.pdf