11 bad and outdated job-hunting tips you should stop believing

11 bad and outdated job-hunting tips you should stop believing11 bad and outdated job-hunting tips you should stop believingGone are the days where you could send your resume to a few dozen companies, pour yourself into your best suit for the bewerbungsgesprch, and have a steady, 9-to-5 job with benefits and a pension.Now, youll have to be a bit more inventive to get your dream job, said The Muse expert career coach Evangelia Leclaire.Job seekers need stop believing that a linear and congruent career path and long term employment at one or a few companies is what will give them a competitive edge, Leclaire, who is also founder and chief evangelist of Ready Set Rock Academy, told Business Insider. Thats just not the norm anymore.When youre looking for a job, you dont need to wear a suit to an interview or ignore opportunities that appear outside of your comfort zone. Plus, the advice follow your passion isnt always the best.Here are some more outdated job tips to discardNo matter what , follow your passionYou quit your job to open a cupcake bakery, because you love cupcakes. But then it doesnt take off - so you give up and go back to the cubicle mines.It didnt have to be like that. Following your passion doesnt always mean turning your most beloved hobby into a job.Instead, think about why you enjoy baking cupcakes. Is it because you enjoy the chemistry behind baking? Serving others?As Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson put it The important point is to not just follow your passion but something larger than yourself. It aint just about you and your damn passion.In other words, did the world need another cupcake store? Or could your passion for cupcakes be expressed in a more constructive fashion that could help others while being fulfilling for yourself?You really SHOULD get your MBA.We all know someone who insists that they should learn Chinese or get an MBA or start writing a novel.Career and wellness coach Joanna Echols calls it should-ing all over ourselve s.It starts with an assumption that somebody else knows better whats right for you and what you should do, Echols told Business Insider. Claim back your personal power and let your own choices and decisions guide your job hunting process.And, above all, even if you think you should go into business, you probably wont be very good at it if youre just there because you think you should do it.All you need to do is make your rsum better, then youll get any job.Leclaire said you can re-design, beef up the key words, and edit your rsum all you want. Its not going to make or break your career.Thats just a small sliver of the pie, Leclaire said. Its not what moves the needle.She added Look at the big picture and take a holistic approach to your job search. Work on distitelseiteing and pursuing opportunities that fit you. Focus on your mindset, building relationships, networking, LinkedIn, job search strategy, your communication, maximizing your time, and more.Networking is so awkward. Its b etter to just avoid it.We often view networking as a bunch of people in a room being fake. But thats only if you make it so.Share a concise and transparent version of your story, ask questions, and actively listen, career coach Marc Dickstein told Business Insider. Authentic curiosity is your ticket to a worthwhile conversation and a meaningful connection.Leclaire underlined curiosity, as well. She said you should try asking people, What are you focusing on? or, Id love to explore how I can support you.These simple phrases take the presaya off of feeling like you need to sell yourself or have some polished elevator pitch every time you connect with someone, Leclaire said. Go about connecting with people from a place of curiosity and contribution.You majored in Spanish, so clearly youre not really a numbers person. Better stay away from those business analyst roles.People who believe that their abilities and interests are permanent are less likely to be interested in new information and fields, Business Insiders Shana Lebowitz recently reported.For instance, you may have concluded that you could never go into programming simply because your brain doesnt work like that. But you dont know if you would like coding, art, or some other field until you try it.If you apply to 30 places, for sure youll get a job somewhere.This is also called the spray and pray, Dickstein said.It seems smart you increase your odds by just increasing the number of recruiters who have your application in their pile. But alas, recruiters can usually see through this - and they wont be calling you in for an interview.Its easy for recruiters to identify thoughtful applications that are tailored to the opportunity, Dickstein said.You should end your cover letter by saying, I will call you on the 12th to schedule an interview.You may have been told that you should end your cover letter with a call to action - or, tell them that youll be calling them to schedule an interview. It seems like a way to appear passionate about the position, while also guaranteeing an opportunity to explain yourself beyond the written word.But dont do it.According to The Muses Lily Zhang, this cover letter line will make you seem egotistical and possibly delusional.I have no idea where this (threatening) advice originated from, but ending your cover letter like this will not give the impression that youre a go-getter who takes initiative, Zhang wrote.Hard skills are most important.Theres no denying that hard skills are important - but theyre not all thats important. Maybe you know the right programming languages, speak Italian fluently, or can plow through projects.Dickstein said those are all givens when youre applying for highly competitive roles. The next step Showing that youre passionate, have the right social savvy to be a great leader, or are an amazing public speaker.That job hasnt been posted online yet, so you probably shouldnt apply.Maybe you caught wind that your dream company is opening a position thats right for you.Dont hesitate just because there isnt a link online to apply, Dickstein said. In fact, thats really the opposite of what you should do - ask a contact or who you think is a hiring manager about the opening and how to apply.Hiring managers often know about functional needs and opportunities before they are made public, Dickstein said. In many cases, recruiters begin to fill the pipeline early and even begin to screen potential candidates.Make sure your application is full of buzzwordsLavishing on the buzzwords wont make you look in-the-know. It will just annoy whoever is reading your application.Buzzwords have become so overused that theyve lost all meaning, Mary Lorenz, a corporate communications manager at CareerBuilder, previously told Business Insider. So, even if you are a social media influencer or someone who thinks outside the box, that really doesnt mean much.Using some of these words wont necessarily disqualify you, but make sure tha t youre telling your story - not decorating it for the holidays, Dickstein said.Go for action words that actually communicate what you did. Dickstein recommended words like achieved, negotiated, budgeted, or improved.Its just a job. Find something that pays well, even if its not all fun and games.Youll spend around 90,000 hours of your life at work. If you hate every passing minute of your job, that adds up to a lot of misery.Looking for a new job can be the perfect opportunity to seek out something that aligns with what you want to do with those 90,000 hours. Dont just seek something that pays well - look for something that fulfills you.Your career choices can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing, Echols said. Lack of job satisfaction or work-related stress are major causes of anxiety, depression and other mental and physical disorders.This article first appeared on Business Insider.