Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.
– Robert H. Schuller
It can be very easy to get discouraged in your job search…problems are aplenty. However, don’t let those problems stop you from doing what you need to do. Learn what you can from it and come away better and stronger than before. It’s a job search motivator everyone needs.
Having trouble finding jobs?
If you can’t find enough jobs that fit your skill sets, it doesn’t mean they’re not available. That’s not a stop sign for you. More than half (maybe as much as 70%) of all jobs are ‘hidden’ or unadvertised at any given time. So that means you have to go looking for them.
Some jobs just aren’t advertised YET…which means you’ll be first in line for them and they may not even bother to interview anyone else.
Some jobs don’t exist yet because the company hasn’t got it all figured out…see this post: My New Job Didn’t Exist When I Contacted the Hiring Manager.
Some companies don’t like to advertise…Andy found that out when he contacted a hiring manager for an interview (which he got) and they said they liked his ‘outside the box’ thinking.
Not being able to find enough jobs is such a common thing that we created a system for you called the Hidden Jobs Finder. Check it out.
Having trouble getting interviews?
If you can’t get interviews, it’s all too easy to assume that companies aren’t interested in you. But that’s probably not the issue at all. What can you learn from that and move forward on?
It could be that you are applying online. If you’re applying online and not getting interviews, you need to stop applying online and do something else. What would you do? Contact hiring managers directly. I worked with a gentleman who had a specialized certification that made him pretty unique…and still, he didn’t get an interview when he applied online. When he contacted the hiring manager, he got hired. The best part (or the worst part)? The hiring manager had never seen his application.
It could be that you aren’t contacting enough employers. If you contact 10 employers, you might not find one who needs you at this time. If you contact 100 employers, you’re almost certain to.
It could be that your resume isn’t selling you. In my experience, 98% of job seekers don’t have a resume that really does them justice. One of the improvements that makes the most positive impact is quantification–describing your accomplishments in terms of numbers, dollars, and percentages. This one thing could help you get more interviews immediately.
Not getting job offers when you interview?
If you interview for jobs and you don’t see job offers, it doesn’t mean you’re not qualified not worthy of being hired. It means that you aren’t interviewing well–and interviewing is a skill that anyone can improve. How?
– Practice Your Answers to Interview Questions
Learn how to give ideal, personalized interview answers in my blog series, How to Answer Interview Questions. Or work with an interview coach to really step up your game.
– Bring a 30-60-90-Day Plan to Your Interview
A 30/60/90-Day Plan is a written outline of what you would do in your first 3 months on the job. You create it before your interview and then use it as a conversational tool with the hiring manager. This gives you a much deeper, more significant, more productive conversation than you’ve ever had before–and it leads you to job offers.
Learn to create a 30-60-90-day plan.
If you let a job search problem be a stop sign, it will keep you searching for months, or even years.
If you use problems as guidelines to learn from and adjust your actions accordingly, you will find the path to success. Best of luck!