Why Job Searches Fail

by Brad

Many unemployed job seekers seem to search endlessly for a position that fits their skills. They apply for hundreds of jobs and get few if any responses. The biggest issue with looking for a job is that there is no feedback on what aspect of the search is going wrong. Rarely do companies notify candidates that they're not interested in, so there isn't even an opportunity to ask.

Let's assume that the position is a perfect match to the job seeker's skills and qualifications, which is rarely the case. The problem could be with the resume. The resume might not correctly convey the skills and accomplishments that it was intended to. Another problem is that resumes are commonly stored in large databases now. This means that it's possible no one is even reading the resume. It may lack the correct keywords, lingo, or abbreviations to be pulled out of the database for the desired position.

A similar problem could be that the cover letter doesn't appeal to the person who is screening for candidates. Commonly, job search articles will convince the applicant to address the cover letter to the hiring manager of the position. This may not be a bad decision, but the resume has to get through human resources before any hiring manager sees it, especially at large corporations. Obviously typos, grammatical errors, and incorrect facts can also lead to screening.

Resume and cover letter problems can be common, but are easily fixable once identified. But chances of a callback are still small even with perfect application documents. The problem is that the number of applications for any job can be unbelievably high. Companies love this because they can get the most qualified candidates at the lowest price possible. Obviously, a job seeker will want to avoid this scenario if at all possible.

The best way to avoid it is to not apply for jobs. Yes, you heard me right. It can really be quite a waste of time applying for advertised positions whether they are listed online, on company websites, or in newspapers. This is what almost every job seeker does, so it makes it a bad thing to do. The best way to try to find work is networking.

I realize that everyone just groaned, but it is the truth. Networking does have to be as painful as it seems though. You don't have to pitch yourself to everyone you know. It is really as simple as calling up friends, relatives, and acquaintances and asking if they know anyone working in the industry or field that you are interested in.

When someone gives you a reference, call that person and explain how you were referred. The key at this point is not to ask for a job. If you ask for a job, most people seem really annoyed. However, if you ask for advice and more referrals you will get a much better response. Clearly the best response would include information about a vacant position at this person's company, but as long as you learn something or get a new lead then you made good use of your time. Basically just continue this process until you get a job offer.

So in summary, make sure that your documents are perfect. They need to be perfect in grammar and language to convey the correct message and bypass human resources screeners. But the real secret to finding work is to bypass this process altogether. You want to be wherever the other job seekers aren't.