Avoid Common Mistakes During Your Job Search: Legal Job Hunting Pitfalls You Need to Know

SUMMARY

When it comes to hunting for a new job, it can be an exciting but also a daunting experience. Searching for the right job can take time, so it's important to know the job hunting pitfalls to avoid in order to succeed in landing the job you want.


The first mistake is to not research the job market. Knowing what is out there is the first step in finding the right job. It is best to research the type of job, job requirements, and the salary range you are willing to accept. Also, researching the industries you are interested in can give you an advantage over other job hunters.

The second mistake is relying solely on job postings. While job postings can be helpful, they only give a glimpse of the job market. Expanding your search to social media, professional networks, and other job sites can open up more opportunities. Additionally, utilizing your professional network for referrals and recommendations can often lead to more job offers.

Another mistake is not creating a detailed job plan. Having an actionable plan and timeline for the job search process can help keep the search organized and on track. Part of this plan should include a resume and cover letter that are tailored to the job. Also, setting aside specific hours each day to send out applications, attend job interviews, and follow up can help stay focused during the job hunt.

One of the most common job hunting mistakes is not having a good interview strategy. Knowing the right questions to ask, having a list of references, and having a well-prepared portfolio and presentation are key to a successful interview. Additionally, proper follow-up etiquette should be used, such as sending a thank-you note after the interview.

Finally, not having the right attitude can be a job hunting pitfall. Being resilient and optimistic during the job search process can greatly increase the chances of getting the job. Don't let rejections hold you back, as it is often a part of the job search process.

Job hunting can be a challenging but rewarding process and avoiding these pitfalls can help ensure success. Researching the job market, expanding the traditional job search, creating a detailed job hunt plan, perfecting interview strategies, and having a positive attitude are key to being a successful job seeker.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS ARTICLE

 

Job Hunting Pitfalls

Job hunting is a process that is filled with potential pitfalls. While many people are familiar with the traditional job search process, there are a number of things that can go wrong. This guide will provide information about some common job hunting pitfalls and how to avoid them.
 

Avoiding Job Search Traps

When job hunting, it is important to know what traps to avoid. Most job seekers are familiar with the traditional job search process, but there are many more traps that can trip up a job seeker. One of the most common traps to avoid is the “resume black hole.” This is when job seekers apply for positions through online job boards and never receive a response from the employer. To avoid this trap, it is important to strategically target job postings and to follow up with employers directly.
 

Missed Opportunities

Another pitfall in job hunting is missing out on potential opportunities. It is easy to limit your search to the online job postings and the companies that are actively advertising for positions. However, it is possible to miss out on many opportunities by only focusing on the job postings. Job seekers should also consider networking with people in their field to find out about any potential unadvertised positions and to build relationships with potential employers.
 

Unrealistic Expectations

Earlier this year, the job market was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, job seekers may have been overly optimistic about their job prospects and have held unrealistic expectations. It is important to remain realistic when job hunting, as it can take longer than expected to find a job. Have patience and remain focused, and when jobs do come up, you’ll be ready to take advantage.
 

Rejection

Another common job hunting pitfall is rejection. With the job market being so competitive, job seekers can experience a lot of rejection. While this can be disheartening, it is important to keep sending out applications and remain positive. Many job seekers have overcome rejection to find great jobs.


There are five important steps to take in preparing for a job search in today's highly competitive market:

• Make a commitment to change;
• Decide what you want;
• Identify your marketable skills;
• Understand the marketplace; and
• Invest in your future.

Now, let's take a look at five employment search Don'ts. These are things which should always be avoided regardless of your immediate status. If you are employed, underemployed, or unhappily employed, these are pitfalls which will limit your job hunting success.

1. Don't Be Casual About Your Career. Take charge of managing your career instead of leaving it to your supervisor and the company's human resources department. While harsh, it is an economic reality that they consider you as a resource to be used in providing goods or services to the marketplace. If there is a way to get things done more efficiently without you or if your employer encounters adverse conditions or just decides to make some organizational changes, the company's interests will necessarily be served rather than yours.

The days of relying on an employer to satisfy job needs, let alone career needs, have long since passed. People can no longer count on beginning and 40 or 50 years later ending a career and retiring with the same company. No employer, even the federal government, can begin to pretend to be able to provide a career's worth of job security, setting aside advancement opportunities. Accept the fact that career entitlement no longer exists and that it's up to you to manage your own career. Abdicating your career's management to an employer, supervisor, or human resources department is the same as entrusting your fate to someone who, by nature, simply cannot put your best interest in top priority position. After all, it's your career and your life, not theirs.

2. Don't Shortchange Yourself. Often people think, "What could I possibly do? I'll never be able to get the kind of job I want. I'm stuck for good." This sort of reasoning just isn't true and can easily become a self fulfilling prescription for failure. Take a school teacher who wants to make a change. Well, such a person has a lot to offer: Teachers like to work with and help others; they are educated and experienced in solving problems; they are good trainers and motivators; and they are good communicators accustomed to speaking in front of groups as well as one on one.

Now, let's transfer these sorts of skills and see what happens. An expanding and always important area is that of customer service. It's not easy to keep customers today so there are lots of organizations out there interested in customer service types of people, those who can communicate intelligently and like to work with others and be helpful. Later, follow on avenues include customer service supervision or training where skills like group presentations, motivating, and problem solving are essential. Too many people don't give themselves enough credit in the skills area because they seem to have tunnel vision about themselves and focus on only one thing when, in truth, they really do have transferable skills valuable in the marketplace.

3. Don't Ignore Your Packaging. An easy way to understand this is to think of a common, everyday item, something like toothpaste. If you go to the store and you're going to buy toothpaste, you typically see a generic or store brand and an array of heavily promoted brands. Which one will you buy? Chances are, you'll probably buy the one you think has the most "zing": A catchy jingle; an eye grabbing box; testimonials, studies, and surveys; and promises of a brighter smile and a fresher breath.

It doesn't matter much to you that the brand you selected costs more than the store brand even though there is little, if any, real difference between the two. Price didn't make the difference; rather, it was the overall promotional package. The same thing holds true in packaging yourself to succeed in the job search market. Try to highlight your measured accomplishments and remember that your resume is your box label. You need to separate yourself from the crowd of competition by promoting yourself. Identify organizations you feel could use your skills and tell them what you can do.

Think of yourself as a valuable product in the market, a product that will benefit from good promotional packaging. Overcome any feelings of rejection because each "No" only moves you nearer to the next "Yes". Toothpaste manufacturers know that persistence pays off in the long run; this is also true in the job market.

4. Don't Be A One Stop Shopper. This is especially important because so many people seem to have serious misconceptions about how to conduct a successful employment search. The unadvertised job market in the U.S. actually accounts for something in the area of 75 to 85% of the overall market. People who rely solely on employment agencies, executive search firms, or advertisements appearing in newspapers will miss the largest part of the market. In fact, these sources (the 42,000 agencies, all 3,500 search firms, and the ads in all U.S. papers for a whole year) cover only about 15% of the total.

The informed job seeker isn't a one stop shopper; rather, he/she pursues several different avenues all at the same time, including networking to tap the informal or unadvertised market. This increases the probability of success in a shorter amount of time because the individual is exposed to many more possibilities than would otherwise be possible.

5. Don't Follow The Path Of Least Resistance. If you are unsure about how to approach the job market, make an investment in having people help you. This could be a support group or a career marketing or consulting firm. It might seem to be a little easier at first to take short cuts but, as is usually the case, the path of least resistance leads to the place of least results. Few people really know how to market themselves into a new career. A U.S. Census Bureau survey found that 65% of unemployed individuals spent less than five hours a week on their job searches; only 13% spent more than 16 hours a week. So, for the rest of us it takes an initial investment in time and effort to learn the best methods and the right packaging and then it takes research, planning, and, yes, hard work. In the end it will all have been well worth it though because you will have found what you want.

Your job search will be expedited if you avoid these five difficulties and conduct your search as a job or project in and of itself.

Laura K. Gabel is Vice President of Administration with Alan Randall Associates. Attorneyalternatives.com specializes in attorney transitions and is a service of ARA.