5 Myths That Prevent Job Seekers from Overcoming Failure

5 Myths That Prevent Job Seekers from Overcoming Failure5 Myths That Prevent Job Seekers from Overcoming Failure For many people, the job search is a mysterious and frustrating process. Unless youre a recruiter or hiring manager , you usually dont have a good idea of what goes on behind the scenes - and because of that, people tend to come up with their own ideas of what happens, and what it takes to be successful.Often, this works like a game of telephone You may start out with a grain of truth, but it will get repeated and altered so many times that it ends up being completely misinterpreted. As a result, buying into these common sense ideas and pieces of advice can actually end up hurting your chances of scoring your dream job.So if youve been hearing rejection after rejection lately - or worse, no responses at all - its time to set things straight. Read up on the most pervasive job search myths out there, what the facts of the matter are and how you can tweak your job search for better results.So many job seekers think their odds of hearing back are directly proportional to how many times they blast their resume out to recruiters. There is some merit to the idea that youll need to apply to multiple opportunities, but taking a total spray-and-pray approach is one of the worst things you can do.While applying to more jobs does increase profil callbacks, remember bedrngnis to sacrifice quality for quantity. Recruiters will quickly trash applications that are generic or a poor fit, says Christopher K. Lee, Career Consultant and founder of Purpose Redeemed .Instead, you should focus your job search on jobs you really want, and jobs where you compete against the best applicants in the pool, adds career concierge and hiring consultant Kim Stiens of Ranavain .And if you really want to stand out, customize each application you submit, says Cheryl E. Palmer, Executive Career Coach and owner of Call to Career .Carefully review the vacancy anno uncements for different positions and then tailor your cover letter accordingly so that you can convince a hiring manager that you are right for the job, Palmer recommends.On the opposite end of the spectrum, some job seekers are hesitant to apply to any job with a description that doesnt match their skills and experience 100 percent.Many job seekers refrain from applying to positions where they dont meet all the listed qualifications . This is a shame because some of them would excel in those roles, says Lee. Truth is, job requirements are often a wish list. Few applicants will meet all the points.A good rule of thumb if you match at least 75-80 percent of the requirements, its worth applying.Speak to how strong you are in the other areas, and highlight any areas of experience which demonstrate youll be able to pick up the lacking skill quickly, recommends business coach Dave Labowitz .While qualifications are important, theyre only part of the equation.Too many job seekers belie ve they should get the job because they have experience. Yes, experience is important, but it doesnt help you stand out, says career coach and resume writer Melanie L. Denny . Rather than simply assuming youll get the job due to your stellar track record, focus on the value you have produced for past employers in the form of achievements, she recommends.Abedrngnisher reason hiring managers may choose a less qualified candidate is if they prove to be a better culture fit . If you have all of the necessary skills, but dont seem like you could work well with others at the company, thats a big red flag.One way to combat this is by only applying to companies that you know you would be compatible with. But if youve already found a good match, you can prove youre a good culture fit in your application materials - particularly your cover letter. Which leads us to myth number fourSure, not every recruiter or hiring manager will read a cover letter - but enough do that its still worth t aking the time to write one, says Stiens.While some hiring managers dont read them, a lot still do, and for those hiring managers, your cover letter is at least as important as your resume. While a resume is a fairly rote, formulaic document, cover letters are your place to show your personality and show how you operate on the job, she explains.Cover letters can especially help demonstrate the oh-so-important aforementioned culture fit.With todays companies caring far more about cultural fit than ever before, a cover letter is your opportunity to show them who you are, not just what youve done. This will differentiate you from other applicants and increase the likelihood of an interview, Labowitz says.To demonstrate that culture fit, share relevant anecdotes from your career.Soft skills are key, and using anecdotes in your cover letter are the most effective way to demonstrate them in an application, Stiens recommends. And remember - no one-size-fits-all cover letters. You should s ubmit unique, custom cover letters for each job you apply to (though you can certainly recycle material and anecdotes that are relevant to multiple jobs).So you satisfy most of the job requirements and have a great resume and cover letter that share what you could bring to the company that other candidates couldnt. And yet, you still arent hearing back from recruiters. What gives?Several of my clients think having a strong resume is enough to get them the job but if you dont get that resume in front of the right person (your potential future boss) and sell yourself in an interview, you wont be hired, Denny says. Make sure you are strategic about marketing yourself and master the art of selling your value to a hiring manager.The best way to do that, experts agree, is to network . If you know somebody at a company you want to apply to, ask if theyd be comfortable referring you. If you dont know anybody at the company, look online to see who you can connect with and send them a friend ly email or LinkedIn message requesting an informational interview. If all goes well, you can ask them for a referral.Dont get too in your head about who you should be connecting with. Some job seekers think I cant reach out to people I worked with 10 years ago and havent spoken with since then - it would be an imposition, says Career/Executive Coach Tammy Gooler Loeb . But put yourself in their shoes. If this person reached out to you after 10 years, would you feel imposed on or flattered that they contacted you? More often the latter, and youd likely be happy to do anything you can to be helpful to them, she points out.And dont hesitate to connect with somebody just because theyre not directly recruiting or hiring for the role.Most people find their next meaningful role through a third-, fourth- or fifth-degree connection and how they reached that point may likely have been through a string of connections that are not necessarily in your industry or doing a role similar to yours , Gooler Loeb says. Think of those people you know who seem to know everybody and ask them who they know may be good people for you to speak with to learn more about companies that are growing or hiring.

Before hiring a new employee, be sure they have these 5 traits

Before hiring a new employee, be sure they have these 5 traitsBefore hiring a new employee, be sure they have these 5 traitsWhen building your team, there is elendhing more important than hiring someone who not only is good at what they do but who is also going to mesh well with both the rest of your employees and your clients/customers. A business is nothing without its employees. And in my 14 years of owning a business, great employees have helped mydigital marketing agencybecome what it is today.When an employee moves on or we look to expand, these are the five qualities I look for in a hireAdaptabilityDigital marketing is a fast-paced field. You need to be constantly evolving and ready to research and learn on your own. This means having the right mindset to want to learn and change and put new skills to the test. If you dont have this spark and flexibility, you wont last long in marketing.ResourcefulnessMarketing is a fast-paced environment. And when you have multiple clients an d multiple responsibilities, being able to manage your time is essential A good hire will have proven time management skills and be able to accomplish his or her tasks on time and with little-to-no supervision.A keen eye for the small stuffYou want someone who is detail oriented. Whether its reading an article 50 times, making 20 revisions on a website or simply paying attention to the colors and logo specs for a clients brochure, a good hire is detail oriented. It doesnt matter the job responsibilities or position title details are crucial to any business. Noticing details starts with the hiring process. Ill often get resumes with grammatical errors or even worse, spelling errors. Those go immediately in the trash. If a potential employee doesnt care enough to put their best foot forward for a possible future boss, why would they for a client down the road?Multi-tasking abilityfruchtwein companies these days are looking for someone whos not afraid to work outside their job descript ions. My agency is no different. Weve worked to break down silos between departments so our employees can have a holistic view of the entire marketing process. Along with this, in marketing,every client will have unique needs for their business goalsand youll have to learn to meet those goals. I look for hires with an ability to juggle tasks effectively without letting any drop.OpennessCulture fit is critical. This is key for both how the hire interacts with your team and how he or she interacts with current and potential clients. If a person doesnt gel with my team or cant handle talking with clients, its a sign they might not work out with job long term. At my agency, we utilize a trial period to ensure our new hires are slam dunks. During our introductory period, if it seems like the employee doesnt fit our culture, has difficulty interacting with clients or perhaps the employee just didnt like the work, we can part ways. No harm no foul.Alex Wolk is the founder ofINSITEADVICE.He loves SEO and STL. Hes a Huffington Post and Businessdotcom contributor.This article originally appeared atBusinessCollective.

Best Companies for Women Seeking Executive Positions

Best Companies for Women Seeking Executive PositionsBest Companies for Women Seeking Executive PositionsYou are a woman seeking out the best companies to pursue an executive position.But you have a problem. You are aware that there are still forms of institutionalized gender bias in the workplace.It could be a companys culture. It could be that they still ask for salary history during an interview and cousine their offer off of previous, unfair, and gender-biased wages.You need to find a company willing to invest in the future of achieving gender equality in the workplace.Read the recently posted list of Top 1000 Companies Worldwide for Millennial Women in 2018, presented by Mogul, the women-only tech platform that enables women worldwide to openly share knowledge with each other. Century-old global companies investing in gender equalityCompanies like Philips (1891), Mars (1915), and Kraft Heinz (Kraft 1903 Heinz 1869) were founded during times when women did not even have the right to vote in the USAStatistically, the only time companies saw an influx of women into the workplace was during and after a major war that required men to leave jobs. Even still, women were never given leadership positions.These same companies that existed during major wars, the Suffrage Movement, the Civil Rights Era, and the 1970s Equal Rights Amendment movement, are now investing in the futurePHILIPSAt Philips, we strongly believe that diversity is a requirement to remain a high performing organization. We are stepping up to improve our inclusiveness to leverage the full potential of our employees whilst better serving our increasingly diverse customer base. We are taking intentional actions to empower the career growth of women and increase diversity in leadership positions. As such, we are proud to be named on Moguls 2018 diversity award list in recognition of our progress. - Ronald de Jong, Chief HR Officer, Royal PhilipsOne of the greatest opportunities we have to future-proof the success of Philips is to harness the diverse nature of talent that exists within the Millennial generation. We have started to see grassroots movements in the company, whereby groups of energetic millennials are stepping up and leading innovative and scalable change. We are honored to support and fuel their passion for making a positive difference in the world. - Cynthia Burkhardt, in aller welt Head of Talent Acquisition, Royal PhilipsMARSAt Mars, every one of us is unique and every one of us matters. - Michelle Thomas, Global DI DirectorWe believe that inclusion unlocks diversity. When Associates feel included, they want to stay and grow with us. Some companies count people. We are very intentional about making people count. - Michelle Thomas, Global DI DirectorEveryone in the organization is a leader. From the bottom to the top, its everyones responsibility to create inclusion. Inclusion is a way of being, and how you show up every day. -Michelle Thomas, Global DI DirectorKR AFTAt Kraft Heinz, we believe that our culture of Ownership Meritocracy helps us attract a diverse talent base. Diversity in our workforce creates an inclusive work environment and allow us to lean into ur Vision To be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World.Given these companies are now global brands in a global company, the opportunities for women seeking executive positions is looking better than ever.At the current time, only 11% of women hold the highest paying jobs in corporate America. However, US companies and others worldwide in this Top 1000 list are looking to simultaneously create cultures that support the development of female talent.Resources will be provided so that women who want to become the executives of tomorrow will be afforded the same opportunities as men