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Tip #11: “Job Fairs Can Be a Waste of Time”
Depending on the industry, job fairs can be a huge waste a time, though mileage may vary. The reason companies do this is to be in the public eye and to collect resumes for their database for later recruiting efforts. Sure, they may have an actual fit for you right now, but it is uncommon. The reason for you to attend these is not to hand over a resume, though you should (this can be done online, typically). It is for rapid-fire, in-person presentation of who you are and what you offer. It is practice for interviews, basically. You may get offered some on-the-spot, and you should take them. Of course, always bring an empty goody bag to fill up with pens, mugs, and other gadgets that they’re giving away while trying not to seem like this is the only reason you are there!
Tip #12: “Use Job Boards”
The great thing about job boards is that the recruiters come to you. They are the ones trying to get your attention, not the other way around. The secret to job boards is to update your resume every Sunday so that you appear, by Monday morning when recruiters begin their week, to be actively looking. You likely appear near the top of search results. No actual change to the resume is needed. Make a trivial change like adding an extra space after a paragraph, hit save, and make sure the “last updated” date says today.
Tip #13: “Responses Are Not Guaranteed”
In life, regardless of who is initiating contact, a response is not guaranteed. Some will argue that as a candidate, you should respond to everyone, but this can be unrealistic in a hot job market when many recruiters contact you every day for weeks. Besides, recruiters often don’t respond to you, even when they initiated contact and you followed their response requirements to the letter. There is no double-standard here. Either we’re all required to respond, or none of us are. It is the latter. They’ll be back later with another job whether you ever responded before or not.
Tip #14: “Avoid the Phone at First”
Avoid getting on the phone with any recruiter until knowing details about the job and whether it’s a possibility worth considering. Many will call about jobs in the wrong field, wrong state (planet?), and other misfires that make it a waste of time. Oddly, they often refuse to get off the phone even after being told this and that another obligation demands our immediate attention. It is not uncommon to spend thirty minutes talking to someone who doesn’t have an appropriate job right now. One reason they give is networking (see the next tip).
Tip #15: “Networking is Overrated”
Seemingly everyone glowingly talks about the power of networking to find your next job. This may depend on the industry, but it is generally overrated. The reality is that by being on job boards, your resume will slowly work its way into countless recruiting databases, held by hundreds of firms. When they have a position that even remotely fits your skills or location (and often when it’s a total miss!), they will contact you. It’s their job. They cast a wide net. So if you hate networking, don’t force yourself. They’ll come to you anyway (if your resume is good). One reason networking is overrated is that the odds of someone you know personally having an appropriate job for you at the exact moment that you are actually looking are not great. It’s mathematically unlikely. And you won’t get told about the job just because you talked to them before; they will tell you anyway! Many agencies may contact you about the same position.