Beware Of Free Career Advice
Taking bad career advice can severely hurt your job search journey
I recently overheard a conversation between a friend who was speaking to another friend.
We will call my friend John.
John was relocating to a new country to start a new life. It was an opportunity he had waited on for a few years. He was glad his dream finally came through.
He could now begin to plan for the next phase of his career.
I was happy for him.
One evening, John was on the phone with his friend who lives in his destination country. He wanted advice on how to land a job as quickly as possible. John knew there would be challenges at his destination and sought to get quick guidance from his friend.
The free advice the friend gave to John blew my mind.
Beware Of Free Advice
John received advice to submit 100+ job applications daily.
My heart skipped when I heard this.
Is that even possible?
Thankfully, I was around John and shared my thoughts on why the free advice might not be a good idea.
But Why Is This Not A Good Idea?
You might have heard that quantity is better than quality. Unfortunately, this does not count with job applications. With job applications, quality is critical.
It can take up to 4-6 hours to prepare a solid job application for a given role.
Applying to 100+ jobs daily meant:
John would apply to all these jobs using one resume
John wouldn’t customise his application to the job
John might not even read the job description at all
Sadly, this technique is not effective and practical. These applicants hardly get shortlisted for an interview.
Why?
Their applications are not tailored. Employers spot them quickly, and they are hardly shortlisted for an interview.
The result?
They lengthen their job search journey.
Listen But Validate
If you find yourself needing career advice, I will recommend speaking to career experts and individuals who are experts in the field.
This group might be able to offer valuable information to assist with your career journey. I also recommend speaking to more than one professional to vary and validate the information you receive before deciding.
Closing Thoughts
Beware of free advice you receive from friends, colleagues, and associates. Everyone tries to help, but unfortunately, not everyone provides helpful information.
Taking bad career advice can severely hurt your job search process.
Beware of free career advice.
Listen but always validate.
I wish you the best.
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