Not Getting Interviews—What’s Up?
If you’ve been looking for a job for a while and not getting interviews, it can be all too easy to blame the job market, your age, or other external factors. These things can obviously make a difference in how quickly people get interviews and job offers. But—by stopping there and blaming something external for your prolonged search—you could be doing yourself a disservice. ?
You will help yourself more if you take a step back to look at why else this could be happening so you can then take an action step to fix it. ?
Consider the following:?
1.?????Is My Goal Realistic?
2.?????Is My Resume A Factor?
3.?????How Am I Going About My Search?
4.?????Dos And Don’ts?
Is My Goal Realistic??
It’s a balancing act: Allow yourself to explore a life-long career dream and then check to see how realistic it is. It may not be feasible to pursue the dream at this time. ?
It’s important to thoroughly research the requirements for the kinds of jobs you’re applying for. Then look at what is presently going on in the industry. You may be reasonably qualified for a position in M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions), for example, but if there is a massive downsizing going on in that field, there are likely to be others more qualified for the few open positions that exist. This may not be an opportune time to pursue M&A.?
Even when your goal is realistic, you might benefit by expanding it and also having a Plan B. What other kinds of things could you be looking for? Investigate to see if you need to enhance your skills with additional education, training, or volunteer work.?
Is My Resume A Factor??
If your goal is realistic, does your resume reflect that goal? The resume is a strategic document and should show—in very specific terms—that you have the skills required for the position you are seeking. Review the insights identified from your thorough self-assessment to emphasize the skills you have developed that you most enjoy using and which would serve you in the role you are seeking. If you include extraneous information that does not relate to your job goal, the resume can lose focus and make it more of a challenge to get the interviews you are looking for because it’s hard to read. ?
And remember that the overall presentation of the resume needs to be polished and professional. Be sure to tailor the resume you submit for each job opening to the specific requirements of the position.?
How Am I Going About My Search?
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Take a look at how much time you are spending each week on your search. If you are currently unemployed, an effective job search campaign is itself a full time job, including research, preparation for appointments, and careful tracking of next steps. Be methodical in your efforts, and follow up diligently after your appointments. Don’t drop the ball. It’s essential to keep your name in front of people to make the progress you’re looking for.
?
Look at the strategy you’re using and how you’re allocating your time. Keep in mind that the Direct approach to the job market—applying for published openings through recruiters or HR professionals—is usually most effective when you have previous experience for a position rather than when you are trying to make a career change. Since only a small percentage of jobs are gotten this way, you don’t want to use this as your sole or even primary job search strategy.?
Instead, allocate most of your time for the Indirect approach, where the majority of jobs are found. With this, you are tapping into the “hidden” job market to identify openings before they are made public and the competition intensifies. For this reason, the importance of networking and going on information interviews cannot be overestimated!?
Dos And Don’ts?
Do:?
Don’t:?
To Sum Up: Don’t waste any time. If you’re stalled, take a step back and look at how you’re going about your search. Ask yourself what, if anything, you could do differently. A few small changes could help you start making important headway!?
-??????Nonie Potocki?
Published on LinkedIn June 29,2022?