Why Most Job Search Advice Is Wrong

The job search advice industry is massive and mostly mediocre. Much of it is written by people who haven't been on the job market recently, optimized for sharing on social media rather than practical utility, or generic to the point of uselessness.

Here's some of the most commonly shared advice that you should question.

The shotgun approach to job searching - sending out 50 applications a week with minimal customization - rarely works and often backfires. It burns time, produces low-quality applications, and leads to interviews for roles you're not well-suited for.

Targeted, high-quality applications to roles you're genuinely a fit for will consistently outperform mass applications. Apply to 10 well-matched roles with strong, tailored materials rather than 50 generic ones. Track your response rate - it will be dramatically higher.

The one-page resume rule is appropriate for recent graduates and early-career professionals. For anyone with more than 10 years of relevant experience, a two-page resume is not only acceptable but often better - it gives you space to tell the story of your experience without compression that obscures important details.

The rule that actually matters: every line on your resume should earn its place. Whether that fills one page or two is a consequence, not a constraint.

The fear that negotiating salary will result in a rescinded offer is vastly overblown. Employers almost never rescind offers because a candidate negotiated professionally. They've invested significant time in selecting you - walking away from you over a reasonable counteroffer would mean starting the entire process over.

Not negotiating, on the other hand, consistently costs candidates real money. If you're offered a salary and you accept without asking for more, you'll almost certainly have left money on the table. The expected value of asking is positive. Always negotiate.