Are you letting collective wisdom stand between you and your career?

“No one hires during the holidays.”

“No one wants to hire people of a certain age.”

“No one reads cover letters.”

“My resume has to be one page.”

Just because everyone says it, that doesn’t mean it’s true… for you. When you are looking for new work, the world will be quick to tell you what you need to know. It’s like everyone got the same email, and no one noticed it was spam. The truth is, everyone’s job search, like everyone’s career paths and everyone’s pinky toes, all look a little different. Even two people in the same industry, with the same title, at the same company, will have arrived there from different paths. If you’re looking for new work, don’t let generalizations and commonly held beliefs keep you from moving forward. And don’t believe everything you hear. Well-meaning people will try to help you out, but their advice can easily drive a wedge between you and your goals.

“No one hires during the holidays,” is the oldest tale in the book. Yes, managers take time off during the holidays. So does everyone else. Which means this is the ideal time to apply for positions online. Why? Because, if I’m the hiring manager, I’m alone at my desk. No meetings. No calls. I have time to clear out my email and think about who I want to hire. When HR is back in the office after the new year, I’ll want to know how our candidate pool is looking. Are you in the pool? Or are you just getting around to applying? Think ahead. When the hiring manager is looking for you, be sure you’re in a place to be found.

“Ageism exists.” Yes, sorry, in some places it does. And you can’t change your age. Savvy hiring managers are open to all ages. They understand that with maturity comes better attendance, a vast array of experiences to draw from, and hardly any drama. You can’t turn back the clock, but you can strive to be the best version of you at any age. That means, starting today, eat well, sleep like you’re supposed to, and leverage the benefits of physical activity. Assume that, because you can’t change it, your age isn’t going to be a factor. Then, pursue your goals.

“No one reads cover letters.” This statement would be true if the sentence ended like this: No one reads cover letters at first. People read resumes first, cover letters second. And sometimes resumes and cover letters become separated during the hiring process. However, in a search where two candidates are equally qualified, a good (concise, professional, organized, brief) cover letter will sway the hiring decision. When in doubt, write a quality cover letter, and expect that someone will read it.

“Resumes should be one page?” Resumes should be long enough to convey critical information about your career journey over the past 10 or so years, and they should provide enough space (normal margins) so that the critical information is easy to find. Crisp, clear, concise, yet with sufficient detail to differentiate yourself. If you can do it all in one page, do it. If not, go for 2.

If the universe tells you what to do about your job search, and it doesn’t feel right to you, trust gut. There are many ways to land a job. Waiting for the perfect moment to get out there is not one of those ways.