qwerty Job Search Myths | TDS Personnel Recruitment Agency

Debunking Five Common Job Search Myths

by | Aug 21, 2019

As a recruitment agency, daily we speak with professionals in a variety of industries. We often hear about misconceptions and myths permeating candidates’ job search. These misconceptions include once-valid strategies that have become outdated and do not necessarily hold true to today’s practices.

Below are five of the most common misconceptions we’d like to debunk.

  1. The most qualified candidate always lands the job

 While numerous people apply for a job, the candidate that is the most qualified on paper often gets the offer. Increasingly, there are cases where hard skill qualifications aren’t enough. Companies are focusing more on building out a safe and positive culture where workers feel valued and respected. A less qualified candidate that aligns more with a company’s long-term vision is a strong contender in today’s market.

  1. You will always get a response – if you don’t, you should follow up

 Companies receive hundreds of job applications per day. While hiring managers and recruiters are actively sourcing resumes, it becomes time-consuming when factoring in the task of responding to every application received. If you have recently submitted your application and have not received a response within a few days, it is appropriate to send a follow-up email, but try to resist surpassing one follow-up.

  1. Passion for the job is enough

 While hiring managers do care about your passion for the job and ability to fit with their culture, it is still critical to put in the work when applying to show how your skills and/or experience match up with the position at hand. Review the job description and connect the dots between the requirements and your experience, training, AND passion for the job. 

  1. The company you applied for will keep your resume on file

 Most hiring managers will offer to keep your resume on file for future openings. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Direct companies have hundreds of new resumes coming in on a daily basis. If you see that a new position has opened up, apply with a fresh resume.

Recruitment agencies, on the other hand, operate differently.  Our recruitment agency maintains a vast network of candidates. When a hiring manager approaches us about an opening, we turn to our wealth of candidates and referrals to source the best match.

  1. Your online behaviour won’t affect your career

 This is perhaps the most common misconception on our list. Today, many companies perform in-depth online background checks before hiring employees. These can uncover everything from questionable posts to unsavoury comments on social media. Now more than ever, it is important to carefully monitor your online presence and privacy settings for all of your social accounts. Remember, if you post it, it’s out there for the world to see.

It is important to keep in mind that every company and recruitment agency operates differently. Although job searching can be a full time job in itself, there are recruitment agencies like TDS to help alleviate the stress and assist you along the way. If you are actively looking for a new role, be sure to check out our job postings here.

 

Image credit: http://informedmag.com/

Lisa de Jong
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