Time to discard job-search misconceptions

Amy Lindgren is on vacation. The following is a revised version of a column that ran in May 2005.

Two years ago I celebrated 20 years as a self-employed career counselor by taking stock of what I had learned in that time. As I wrote then, "In working with clients and their real-life situations, I've had to give up some favorite ideas about job search and career planning; other favorites have been tested and found true." The following are some of those nuggets, new and revised.

Things I used to believe

After you receive a rejection letter, you should call an employer and ask why you didn't get the job. As it turns out, most employers won't answer this question. They'll tell you that another person had better qualifications, but they won't mention that your awful taste in interview clothes cost you big time.

Employers read letters and résumés carefully. What was I thinking?

References always say good things about you. This was a big shock for me. I still have a hard time understanding why a person would agree to be a reference and then give a poor report to potential employers. I learned that candidates may need to check their own references before relying on them.

It makes sense to turn down offers early in your unemployment. No, it really doesn't. If you have an offer and it's good enough, why wait for the next one?

The more research, the better. I believed this until I met clients who still would be researching if I hadn't stopped them. Who knew that some people enjoy researching more than interviewing?

There's a perfect job out there for everyone. This was a difficult idea to discard. But letting go allowed room for better ideas. For example, I now believe that nearly every job can be improved, and some can be made perfect, at least for brief periods.

Things I now believe

Thank-you letters count. Simply put, no other job-search tool offers so much bang for the buck.

It's not what you know; it's who you know — and that's good. As I've often written, everyone has the ability to make friends; by comparison, not very many of us have the opportunity to get new degrees.

Professionally prepared résumés do make a difference. I know that being in the business makes me biased. But very few investments made during a job search have the payback of a professionally prepared résumé.

"Extra" information on a résumé can be good. It's been the style to cut a résumé to the bone, giving only information directly related to the job desired. But enough job-seekers have reported interviewers' fascination with their hobbies or volunteer commitments to convince me: A little extra information is good for conversation, and that's good for the interview.

People hire people they like. In an otherwise evenly matched pair of candidates, the one with a better disposition always will get the job. When no other candidate is available, an underqualified candidate with a good attitude still might get the offer, but a qualified, crabby candidate usually won't.

During a job search — and just about anytime — cash flow is king. It's not the size of the salary that matters; it's how soon it will start coming in. Likewise, taking a part-time job while looking for better work almost always makes more sense than spending savings.

Things I'll never believe

That employers who require higher-level degrees in their applicants are making good use of these degrees in their employees. Enough said.

That employers are too busy to return the calls of candidates they've interviewed. More than enough said. What gives with this?

That it takes 40 hours a week to look for work. A strategized job search, followed diligently, will use no more than 30 hours a week fruitfully. If results aren't appearing, it's time to adjust the methods, not add more hours.

That there are strict rules regarding job searches. I've seen them all broken, including the ones I've noted here. That's why it's such a fascinating field.

- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecare rservice.com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.