Using Twitter could be an important part of your job search. But when using Twitter (or any other service), I recommend asking the question, “Who’s talking?”
Some people will give you advice based on their knowledge and experience. They will be objective because they have no stake in the process. They want to see you succeed but they will cheer whether you use a recruiter, answer a want ad or get an insider tip from your next-door neighbor.
Generally, you have to pay for high-quality career advice. If you want free tips, you might as well as your mother. You have no guarantee or quality.
When you get free advice, look at who’s talking. Does the advisor have the potential to be biased? Alas, that’s usually the case.
For instance, just this morning I saw someone tweeting ten resume tips. At first, I was impressed.
“Wow, this is generous,” I thought. Most of the tips were good. For instance, the writer advised us to tailor resumes to specific jobs and career fields. Too many people spend a lot of time and money creating a one-size-fits-all resume. If it fits all, it probably fits none.
But then I saw a couple of red flags. Readers were advised to state clearly that they are available for interviews. Huh? I would just say, “I look forward to discussing how my experience can contribute to your organization.” Well, that’s just a first draft.
Even worse, the writer advised applicants to discuss their salary history on their resumes. No career consultant would make that suggestion. Discuss salary after you get an offer. If HR presses you for a salary give a range – a huge range, skewed high.
There is one exception. Suppose you are happily employed or self-employed and you see an ad for something that sounds interesting. You might need to establish upfront that they can afford you, before wasting anybody’s time.
So I looked more closely at the writer’s credentials. If she’s a career coach, I said to myself, there’s no way I’m going to refer anyone to her services. But she’s not a career coach. She’s an HR manager. And now I understood.
Many years ago, an executive recruiter gave a talk to my MBA alumni group in Philadelphia. He alienated most of the group by advising us to share our birth date, salary and a whole lot more. Of course, he would make those recommendations. These disclosures make his job easier. And HR wants to deal in numbers as they screen hundreds of resumes for the job you want.
Ideally, of course, you’ll have an inside track to the job you want. You’ll use networking and get insider information.
That’s not necessarily what the recruiters and HR folks might hope you’ll do. They want a bigger piece of the action.
If you’d like some free advice from me, check out my YouTube channel: http://mycopy.info/ytcareer
And if you’d like to get some solid career advice, let’s set up a consultation.
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