If you’ve been struggling to enter the job market for a while now and haven’t reached any noteworthy success, then perhaps it’s time to abandon the old, conventional strategies and adopt a fresher perspective to help you in this endeavor. Without any further ado, here are the five main reasons why your job search has so far been unsuccessful:
1. You’re Not Networking (Enough)
So many people nowadays confuse the concept of “networking” with the notion of simply being active on social media and maintaining close relationships with their friends and acquaintances. While this may help to some degree, the true art of networking when it comes to finding a job is being present on industry-related groups, participating in discussions (both online and offline), and building powerful relationships with people who might be in a capacity to advance or jumpstart your career. This means joining Facebook and LinkedIn groups targeted to your area of expertise, starting up discussions with your peers and even attending industry conferences where you can meet potential recruiters for your targeted career.
2. You Haven’t Made It Obvious You’re the Best Fit
If your CV and letter of intent has basically been the same for every job you’ve ever applied for, then it’s time to change gears and put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes for a minute. If you were to browse through a hundred applications a day and you accidentally stumbled upon yours, what would your reaction be? Would you consider it perfectly tailored to that particular career path? Would you sense your enthusiasm fly out of the page? If not, then perhaps it’s time to step it up a notch.
The first thing you need to do is to properly check each job description and then tailor your CV and letter of intent accordingly. Make sure to highlight the exact skills and experiences that make you the best fit for the part and chances are you’ll make the cut to the interview stage.
3. You’re Using the Same Traditional Application
While a few years back the words “traditional application” meant actually printing your CV and submitting it personally at the company’s headquarters, nowadays this definition has changed to submitting all your applications online. This strategy is definitely less time-consuming and in most cases what hiring managers ask for, however, if millions of candidates are doing the exact same thing, then it will be very difficult for you to differentiate yourself from any of them. Take your cue from some of these inspiring applications and figure out an unconventional way of selling yourself without actually going through the regular application path. Chances are you will end up impressing the hiring manager and even get to showcase your abilities in a fun and challenging way.
4. You’re Using Too Many Clichés
If your resume is stuffed with all sorts of cliche statements, such as being dedicated, driven, and over-achieving, (which the recruiter has read hundreds of times before), then your credibility as a truthful candidate will quickly diminish, since your application will seem standardized and mostly copied from a well-written template. Instead of filling your CV with a bunch of words that are most probably meaningless in the eyes of an employer, consider adding a personal touch to your presentation and actually speaking the truth about who you are as a person. The more original your submission is, the higher your chances of getting that job will be.
5. You’re Stuck in the Job Search Platforms
While it is true that most job openings are posted on specialized job search platforms, it is also true that others are not. Many jobs related to mass media or the entertainment industry, for instance, are not even advertised, and so the applicant will have to show true ingenuity and resourcefulness in order to get their foot in the door. This can mean anything from attending specialized events, going personally at the company’s headquarters in order to submit your application or even connecting with someone on LinkedIn. There’s a well-known quote about this that says “If it was easy, everyone would do it. Hard is what makes it great.”
To conclude, finding a suitable job in this day and age is by no means an easy task, but it is certainly not impossible. Just remember that standing out from the crowd is the most essential aspect of this game and it is what ultimately defines a successful candidate and what differentiates him/her from a struggling one.
