Whether you are looking for your first clerical job or the one at which you hope to retire, you have likely been inundated with advice.  In some cases, years of built up hints, tips, and recommendations can even make it hard to think.  But not all suggestions are created equal, and some may be incredibly out of date.  However, that doesn’t mean someone is reciting them as if they were gospel.

Before you let recommendations guide your career, make sure you set these three outdated suggestions aside.

Depending on the length of your career, and the previous positions you have held, listing every position you have ever had can be a mistake.  A resume functions as a piece of marketing material designed to help employers see how you can meet their current needs.  So, if you are looking for clerical positions, feel free to leave off that stint as a pizza delivery driver from 10 years ago.

Instead, focus on information that demonstrates you have the skills necessary to manage the job to which you are applying.  Include experience that fits into that picture, as well as suitable education.

If you are looking for your first position, you may need to list jobs that don’t directly translate.  In that case, concentrate on the skills you learned that help make your case.  For example, that pizza delivery job likely taught you skills in areas like customer service, time management, and adjusting to changing priorities.  Highlight those aspects so that the hiring manager can see how the experience makes you a great choice for the position.

Work-life balance, flexible scheduling and alternate worksites are all part of the workplace paradigm today, so don’t hide the fact that you have a life outside of work.  Instead, if you have certain desires in these key areas (or even deal breakers) it is better to be open about these needs than to keep them hidden.

Why? Because you may find yourself accepting a position that won’t actually work for your life.  For example, if you intend on pursuing your education by taking evening classes, a job that requires you to be available after 5:00 pm might make that impossible.  The same can be said for family obligations that you simply can’t change.

Is it possible these requirements may cost you the position?  Yes, it is.  But, if the position doesn’t fit into your life, was it really the right job for you in the first place?

While the online job search and application are a standard part of exploring your employment options, it isn’t the only method for landing a job.  Surprisingly enough, some businesses still use traditional advertising avenues, like local papers, to find potential candidates.  Other companies exclusively use outside recruiting options, like staffing firms.

When searching for new positions, it is always better to cast a wide net than restrict yourself to a single option.  That way, you can increase the number of postings you may find, and the number of unadvertised positions you may access.

If you are looking for a new clerical position, the professionals at TempStaff are here to help.  Let us put our experience and connections to work for you by contacting us today.