Looking for a new job takes patience and perseverance. When you're out of work, it's tough not to get discouraged. For me, once I get to the point of being discouraged, I end up still applying for jobs, but not really giving it my best effort. After all, the odds are good that I won't even get so much as an email acknowledging the fact that I applied. So, to save time and not feel like I'm wasting my energy, I begin falling into patterns of laziness that can cost me a job.
This might sound familiar to you. If you've been looking for work for a couple of weeks or even a couple of months, you might be making mistakes that can ruin your chances at the job you really want. Just to be sure, here are 5 things that can prevent you from getting the job you want:
Relying only on job boards and classifieds - There are many great job boards out there, like the ones at Nexxt, but relying only on these job listings isn't the best way to go. For best results, you need to mix job boards and other online job listings with actual networking. This means that you go out and meet people in your industry or just in your community. Talk about what type of job you are looking for and mention your qualifications. You'll be surprised at how much of a help having a strong network can be. All it takes is one person to take a chance and give you a solid job lead.
Sending out cookie cutter resumes - I know it takes a lot of effort and 90% of the time, you won't hear anything back, but sending out resumes that are tailored to the job you are applying for is the best way to stand out from the competition. Even if you have all of the experience and qualifications the company is looking for, you'll be ignored in favor of the person who showed that they really, really want that particular job. Don't let this happen to you. Customize your resume for the job and show the hiring manager that you are the best person to fill their opening.
Not proofreading every communication - Your cover letter, your resume, the follow up email and every single professional communication should be proofread. The stakes are too high to let little errors go. Also, it helps to make sure that your email address is professional and is simply a variation of your name, rather than a vanity email address.
Spending all of your time looking - Don't spend all of your job search time sending out resumes. If you are out of work and have a great deal of free time, use it to do things that will make you more hireable. Volunteer in your community or take some certification classes. Get involved in the world around you, even if it isn't strictly job search related. It will give you something productive to do, provide you with great experience and you'll be able to network with an entirely new group of people. Even things like going to a summer party or event may seem to be a waste of time that could have been spent looking at job listing but it isn't. If you've been doing the same thing for some time and not getting the results you want, try something new.
Forgetting to follow up - With every job lead, every application you fill out and every new contact you make, you should follow up. If you go to an interview, are invited out on a business lunch or someone goes out of their way to help you out, send a quick thank you note or email. It only takes a minute and it will leave the other person with a favorable impression of you and with any luck, they'll keep you in mind in the future.
Do you often sabotage your own job search? How? What can you do to prevent feeling burned out? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
5 Things That Can Prevent You From Getting The Job You Want
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Melissa Kennedy •Thanks for the comment.Arya - most Applicant Tracking Screening is done by a computer program, not an actual robot. -
Arya •Adam,re: despite the urban myth, most copamnies do not have robots screening their resumes . This statement is factually incorrect. Resumes submitted via company's website are in fact commonly indexed by databases and searched for keywords. Ever wonder why these websites only support Word and text files and not PDF? Its because some engines can't automatically parse the latter format!
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Melisssa K •Customizing your resume doesn't mean starting over each time you apply for a job. But, let's say that you're applying as a customer service agent. Edit your resume to focus on the skills you have that make you great for the position. Then, if you apply for a clerical job, make your resume more tailored for that job, rather than giving each company the same resume. I hope that makes more sense.
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C. K. M •I don't rely on job boards, never did. Since the Internet, there is no reason to check the classifieds anymore. I don't forget to follow-up, I never did it religiously, in the first place. If someone wants to hire me, they will do the followup. If they don't, then they are not interested and me bothering them won't change their mind. Clearly, they went with someone else as there are folks out there, believe it or not, that have a better education or more preferable job experience than I do. I did spend all of my time looking since I could not land a volunteer gig either. Taking classes costs money I don't have. I would love to volunteer and take classes, but it's just not happening for me. Again, believe it or not, the volunteer arena is flooded with unemployed folks like me who are better qualified than I. This year, I got my first rejection letter from a charity as they found someone else better suited to volunteer for them. So. this and taking classes are not solutions for all of us in every city. Since I have an English degree, you know that I proof read all of my work, but being human, I do miss things from time to time. It's inevitable. I live alone, so I have no proofreaders to triple check me. If I can't be human and still get a job, then no one has a chance. My resume may be cookie cutter, but my objective is personalized and my cover letter is tailor made to the job for the potential employer. I get rave reviews on my letters. Still, no interviews. And, in conclusion, I am not able to gather a network. I have tried, and just don't know any folks who will give me the time of day to form contacts to make up a network. I even went to a chamber of commerce meeting to drum up leads, but got none. This apparently just isn't for me. Other than that, I have no where else to look and my sources have since dried up. I don't make the best employee and it shows in my resume. Some of us just aren't the best workers around and I besides lying about it, there is nothing else I can do. I'm just stuck. I was initially told by an agency that I had three strikes against me and you can't rewrite history to reflect virtues you wish you had, but don't. So thanks, but, been there, done that.
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Eloise H •I thought that these suggestions were very good and helpful. But I'm not sure what it means to "customize your resume for each position." I'm not convinced that it is necessary to change something each time you write to a new employer. The facts that you include about yourself and your experience should always remain the same.
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Shanteeka S •I enjoyed reading this article because those things do occur when looking for work after so long and making minor mistakes that may cost you the job.
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