Job Search, a Headache?

What is noticeable on LinkedIn sometimes is some people struggle to find work opportunities. I can feel their frustration reading their posts, which is why I'm writing these few lines in an attempt to simplify a complicated and tiring topic as much as I can according to my point of view, in the hope that it will help someone maybe to approach their search differently.

As someone who had the opportunity to sit on both sides of the table, I struggled on both sides. I can tell that there is a huge gap; when you search for a job, you feel it's difficult. On the other hand, if you want to hire for a position, you will not find candidates.

The reason for this is that even if you are the most possibly qualified person for the role if you do not know how to reach the attention of the person who needs you, you will never get any job. After getting the attention, if you do not ace your interview, you will not get any job. What I want to mean is that as a job seeker, having the wrong understanding and expectations of the job market will only make the mission impossible.

First of all, as a job seeker, you should assess yourself, your background, skills, experience, and desired goal. Without having a clear understanding of who you are and where you want to go, it is unrealistic to continue. After that, you need to accept the fact that there is something called a job MARKET.

As with any other market, this one also has its dynamics, which you should not complain about if anything seems illogical. Accept the fact that you cannot control it; do not fall into the trap of complaining. This will drain your energy and will not change anything; you will never change the fact that some industries are difficult, companies have different hiring processes, and higher or lower salaries; you will simply not change that.

You should build strong searching skills so you find opportunities that match your profile MAINLY; forget about bulk email sending and bulk applications; this will rarely work. In parallel with that, aim to have a strong understanding of how companies are structured, especially in your business function.

Applying for a startup or a large corporation is not the same. Understanding who does what exactly in the sector you apply for is not only helping at this stage but will greatly help you later in the interview itself.

You have to understand that there is a hiring pipeline; only CVs that match the needs of the job are passing by. Large companies automate that using applicant tracking systems, others outsource the hiring completely, others have no HR but only managers involved in the process, and many other practices. The better you understand that, the easier it becomes to navigate the steps coming after.

Talking about the CV, if you apply but do not have interviews, this simply means that your CV is not optimized for the roles you apply for. Remember point 1: never complain; if there is something wrong you have to fix it. Your ability to write a TAILORED CV should be second nature. It is unreasonable to expect that one CV will fit all the jobs you apply for; the ideal is to tailor the CV specifically for the job ad, but starting with a few CVs according to specific types of roles is a good start.

If you are experienced, you have to understand that a CV will never cover every kind of competence, experience, and task you do or did; forget about writing everything; this will not help. A simply tailored CV has a higher chance of getting you an interview; that's why tailoring CVs, especially if you have a lot of experience should become second nature. Consider this simply as work.

You got an appointment; congrats, but the game is not over. You have to understand that you will be competing with others like you, and only a few will make it to the top. If you did your homework well as mentioned in the previous steps, it will be easy for you to get prepared.

Search about the company, and the department, understand the role, prepare yourself for possible expected questions, practice visualization, and be yourself. Ask questions when possible and do not be monotone. If you can influence the interview to not be a Q&A but more of a conversation, you and the person you talk to will feel more comfortable, and you have more chances to have quality time.

Post-interview, you should feel genuinely that you did your best. If you have some doubts, it's ok, but never raise your expectations high. You did your part and the rest you cannot influence. Continue your job search normally and never wait for an offer. The only things you can do are thank you notes and/or follow-up emails after the expected response date.

At this stage, you have to protect yourself from disappointment feelings. You cannot allow this part of the process to affect your overall job search; your morale is important. Have realistic expectations; not every interview will get you an offer.

Once you get the job, another journey will start; new goals will appear, and you will understand that it is an endless journey of learning. Job search is the start, and as every start, it is maybe one of the most difficult parts.

I hope this will help someone to improve their job search. Keep in mind that what's correct today might change tomorrow; a lot of experienced people find it difficult to find jobs even after years of experience; this is simply because the market changes constantly.

Good luck everyone.