As a Career Coach, sometimes I feel like I hear everything when it comes to why people dislike their jobs and are unhappy in their careers. However, sometimes people don’t think about how the job search and career advice that they oftentimes hear, and think is beneficial is actually doing them a disservice and keeping them from achieving their goals. Let’s look at the 8 most common myths that are keeping you from achieving your career goals and fulfilling your career dreams.
The 8 Most Common Myths Keeping You From Your Career Dreams:
- You’re not getting a phone screen/ interview/ call back because you’re under or overqualified.
You more than likely just fell into the black hole. Who said that there’s something wrong with your candidacy? Unless you have fact to back up the story you’re telling yourself, stop telling it because it’s just not true.
- You’re not qualified or have enough experience for an increase in salary. Or asking would make you overpaid and no one will pay that much. It also binds you to zero work-life balance.
Negotiation is a two-sided conversation and is supposed to work in the favor of all of the parties involved. This isn’t just about you being paid more, it’s also about an employer benefiting from your expertise. Win-win!
- You’re too old or inexperienced for a career change.
Most people don’t work in the industry that they started out in and change careers at least once. If you want something new, stop waiting & just do it!
- Job seekers who change jobs often are frowned upon by employers.
Most employers have been looking at this less and less because they have recognized that there is rarely any logical progression. If they’re not overthinking it, then why are you?
- Lowering your salary demands will make you a more attractive candidate.
Jobseekers should never lower realistic salary demands because doing so will just make you appear desperate for the job — and will likely result in you not receiving the job offer. And even if you received the offer and accepted it, you would most likely never be happy in your job or with your employer because you would feel you were cheated out of the salary you deserved.
- Recruiters have your best interests at heart.
Recruiters and headhunters get paid by the companies who hire them to fill those positions. Their loyalty lies with the company who hired them, not with the candidates. Recruiters will not market to jobseekers to companies, they will instead to try to fit jobseekers into well-defined positions with the companies that employ them. They’re selling you what’s available.
- If you’re having difficulty, you should just take the first offer you receive.
I’m not a big believer of this one. Unless this offer represents absolutely everything you were already searching for, a better one will come along. If you and your family are truly struggling to make ends meet, then this might be a different story and that should be discussed in-depth. The best way to avoid desperate situations is by working with a professional who is well-versed at getting results and will get you the career and the salary that you want, too!
- My friend (or family member) told me… {insert a specific piece of advice here}
Unless this individual is an expert, stop believing whatever they are telling you. Just because something happened for one person doesn’t mean that it will be true for you or that this is even practical advice. Read: It can keep you searching even longer and make the process even more difficult!
If you’re still falling for any these, you are falling victim to what’s on the internet or what’s been spread around for years. Just because it is information does not mean that it will help you or get you to your dream career. There are only a few things that can help you do that:
- A Professional
- A plan that works
- Taking massive, determined action
- Commitment
- Resourcefulness
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