The answer is: it depends!
There's a lot of information out there from all kinds of people. Some of it's great, and some of it is noise, or just plain misinformation. On the latest episode of What is Wrong with Hiring, Laura Klein and I talk about the importance of due diligence when it comes to whose advice you listen to for your job search and career development.
So how do you separate the gold from the pyrite?
Aside from the obvious correct life choice of listening to us, because we are all-knowing (sarcasm!), we share a checklist of sorts to help you assess the credibility and validity of your sources so you are protected and make the right decisions for yourself.
In a nutshell...
Pay close attention to:
Relevance to YOU and your situation, values, and goals
Context of the advice/experience - variables like company size, team size, industry, etc.
Agenda/motivations: Is the source trying to be an "influencer"? Selling something (not necessarily bad)? Community-oriented?
Reputation, credibility, and tenure in the field
The best (i.e., most relevant) advice will likely come from:
People with a similar background, values, industry, role, goals, life experience
People who have done the thing you're trying to do
People who are hiring and what they are looking for in candidates
Recruiters in your industry/field
A diversity of perspectives - make sure you aren't missing out on alternate perspectives
Be skeptical of:
Prescriptive advice that says there's only one right way of doing something
Assumptions about how things go
Sample size of one—talk to enough people to identify the patterns and outliers, but not too many people!
People who haven't looked for a job in a long, long time
People who haven't been in their career for very long
Self-described ThoughtFluencersTM
People who are generally not open-minded and aren't willing to have a productive conversation about disagreements
A few other tips:
Social media followers does not always equal quality!
Don't take things on face value. A perfect example is the myth that ATS bots judge your qualifications and auto-reject you before a human ever lays eyes on your resume.
Use your limited time wisely! Instead of spending a million years looking at every possible resource on the interwebs. Curate your LinkedIn feed, sign up for a few newsletters, be targeted in your networking and informational interviews, and find a knowledgeable coach.
If the vibe feels off, it probably is. Go with your gut.
Feel free to disagree with any of this!
Listen below, on our website, or on your favorite podcast app.
As always, thank you for listening, and no matter what you're looking for, we are rooting for you! Don't forget to rate and review our show, but only if you like it! 😉