The Secret Sellers

What if I told you I hold the key? I know the secrets. I know exactly what you need to do to land your dream job.

Then, what if I told you that I’d share it all with you. For free?

Once you’re on my website for the freebies, I then tell you that I reveal even better, more strategic secrets in my book. And look, there’s a picture of my book. With a link to Amazon.

What would you do?

I’ll tell you what I’d do, if I were you. I’d hop over to my library’s app and reserve the book.

Boom! I’d get all the secrets for free. Aren’t I clever?

Well, actually, no. Not really. Sure, it’s great using the library and all. But, that’s not the problem. The problem is believing that anyone holds the secret to landing a job.

It’s just not possible.

Sure, there’s advice that will help anyone in a job search. Much of that, though, is common sense. Act professional. Be polite. Network. Leave no stone unturned. It’s all good stuff.

But, once you head down the road of “Unlocking the Secrets to Landing your Dream Six-Figure Job,” well, then you’re traveling in a realm of hogwash. Otherwise known as nonsense. Balderdash.

Here’s why.

Because hiring is human. And, humans are imperfect. We hold biases. We believe things that aren’t always grounded in logic or reason. We’re easily distracted. We get tired and hangry while we work.

So, there’s just no way that any one person in the world can discern what a group of humans is thinking or doing when reviewing resumes and job applications. Sure, there’s commonalities. But, again, that’s common sense. Not secrets.

Today, nearly every employer uses software to screen applicants. Making it appear as if hiring is somewhat scientific. More standardized. This allows the secrets being sold to seem insightful. Valuable even.

But, let’s think this through. Who made the software? Humans. Who adjusts the dials and sets the filters on the software at each individual company? Humans.

Adding technology to hiring might actually have made the process worse. Cause now, the humans doing the hiring believe in the capabilities of software. Trusting that the software can do a better job than humans.

Making what was once mostly impossible now even more so.

Before the technology one could make good guesses about human behavior and develop some tips and tricks. But now there’s absolutely zero chance that any one person can account for all the variables in the interplay between humans and machines. So, it gets that much harder for the sellers of secrets to actually know anything. Let alone with any certainty.

In fact, I’d be more willing to pay someone to teach me the secrets of success in Texas Holdem. It’s at least a game with established rules. And everyone who plays uses the same type of cards.

But, when it comes to hiring, the rules and deck only appear to be the same. It’s all a mirage. An interface. Hiding all that’s going on behind the scenes. Stuff we’ll never know. Or even fully understand.

So, where’s the harm? Maybe you spend $19.95 on a book. Or maybe you’re as clever as me and get the book from your library. Why do I care?

Because once you go down the road of believing in secrets, and taking the advice of the people selling the secrets, you accept full responsibility for the results.

And, when I say full, I mean full. You start believing you are completely, utterly, totally, entirely, and absolutely responsible for the outcome. Any lack of success is a lack of success in you. You didn’t use the right words on your resume. You chose the wrong cover letter template. You should have worn the other outfit. You smiled the wrong way. Your handshake wasn’t strong enough. It’s you. Not the employer.

And, that’s just silly.

When we put our faith in the sellers of secrets to help with a job search, we’re not only wasting our money, but we’re buying into this myth that employers are fair, honest, and only seeking the best talent.

I’ll agree some employers out there are in fact fair, honest, and in search of solid talent. But, don’t believe for one second that all employers are like this. Many are not. Some may even try to be fair, but still fall short. It’s time we acknowledge this reality. That hiring is human. And, all of our imperfections are baked into the process.

So, when you start your search, remember, don’t buy the secrets being sold. And never take all the blame if you don’t get the job. It’s not you, it’s just one more glitch in the system.