Why you still can't find a job

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, new job openings in the United States hit an all time high in 2016. There is a particularly rosy outlook for new jobs so far in 2017, with many sectors including wholesale and retail trades, transportation and professional services showing 17%+ projections for new job growth. According to a recent study by ManPowerGroup, US employers are looking at a 16% net increase in jobs in the coming year. So, for job seekers, this seems like great news, yet Job Seekers on LinkedIn and other platforms are consistently communicating that they can't find a job. Here are some of the reasons why.

Location, Location, Location

Just like anything else, where you are is, at times, more important than what you do. Jobs outlook in places like Akron, Chicago and New Orleans is around 5%, while Cleveland is at 0%. Many factors can impact the areas jobs outlook, ie industry, economic factors, a major factory closure or a catastrophic weather occurrence can be to blame for slow job growth. States like Oregon, Hawaii and Florida all show at least 20% forecasts in positive employment outlook. What are the factors that impact this statistic? Industry and desirability to live in this area come into play. When thousands of professionals flock to warm weather locations or hot destinations, local economies are forced to respond with additional services, restaurants, housing, entertainment and retail offerings. It starts a great avalanche of growth, influx of cash into the local tax structure and infusion of dollars into the local economy, that then responds with more jobs, more businesses and more opportunities. Don't want to move? Then find out what is hot in your area by looking at your local economic base. How is the tax base supported? What new buildings or offices have you seen pop up? In addition, consider working virtually in your field, find opportunities where it does not matter where you live. You can be an Account Manager or Business Development Executive from anywhere in the world, as long as you have access to an airport, a phone and a computer.

You are in the Wrong Business

The US economy is valued at over 20 Trillion Dollars, but the mix of where these dollars are generated have changed dramatically over the past 2 decades. While manufacturing remains around 8.8% of all US jobs, this segment has lost 5MM jobs in the past 15 years. Spent your career selling commercial printing services? This industry is one of the top most RAPIDLY declining segments in the US. Rounding out the top 5 are Video and Disk Rental Services, Libraries and Archive Services, Knitting Mills, and Magnetic Media (CD's, DVD's, etc). On average, these industries from 2000 to 2016 lost over 62% their employment numbers. Who would have thought, 10 years ago that Oil and Gas would be struggling like it is. Did you think your local mall would look like the ghost town that it is? According to Forbes, the fastest growing segments in the US are Electronic Shopping, Home Health Care Services, Computer Design, Warehouse Clubs and Super Centers and Internet Publishing/Broadcasting technologies, all forecasted to grow by at least 17%. This is no surprise to anyone who has wandered around their local Macy's on a Tuesday night without seeing another human being as compared to the traffic at your local Sam's Club on a Saturday morning. So what does this mean for you? If you find yourself in a job or an industry that is declining, don't despair. The printing industry is not dead, it is not growing, but there will always be some need for these services. Sound too risky? Then, identify the skills you have accumulated during your glory years and translate those skills into a new industry. Sales is sales is sale....same with accounting or any other of the hundreds of jobs that we have that are universal to business. Are you an operations manager in the textile industry? You can easily translate your skills into being in an operations manager in another industry.

You are not, and have never been good at selling yourself.

The US, the land of the beautiful people. Obsessed with the Kardashians, La La Land and any other hot pop culture topic of the moment, we have, as a nation, gotten very caught up in other peoples lives. According to the NY Times, Americans spend over 3 BILLION dollars a year buying celebrity gossip magazines and about 4% of their time looking at celebrity gossip on social media and other internet outlets. What does this all have to do with why you can't find a job? Why do you think all of these folks are so good at being known? First, they know how to sell themselves. They have armies of PR folks and social media experts detailing their every move. While we are not suggesting that you hire your own personal PR firm, we need to take a cue from the PR machines that exist in the likes of Kim Kardashian...self promotion is the key to success. Don't be afraid to detail your success, broadcast your accomplishments, shout your desires from the rooftops (just kidding) and communicate your own value. How do you do this? Build a following on LinkedIn, ask for recommendations, build a portfolio of accomplishments and share with potential employers.

You don't know how to look for a job.

Still using the same resume from 1988? Still posting said resume on the most popular job boards? Successful job seekers will tell you that they have never, not even once, posted their resume on a job board. Guess what? No one is looking for you. Looking for a job is an active process, not a passive hobby. Developing the right tools for your job search is critical. It begins with your resume and ends with your attitude. Desperation is not attractive on anyone. Being desirable is. Never post on your LinkedIn profile that you are looking for a job, post instead that you are a "Seasoned Finance Executive with a track record of building winning teams". See the difference?

Learn how to network. I am not talking about going to your local networking event or job fair, I am talking about using digital tools like LinkedIn and other platforms to reach out and touch someone. Set up an active job search around company websites - want to work for Google? Set up a job alert on their website and they will inform you when a job becomes available that meets your criteria.

It is a numbers game. The more resumes out the door each week, the better. On average, 50% of the jobs you see out there are no longer valid. The more resumes you send, the more opportunities you will have and the more interviews you will get. When you have more irons in the fire, you are less likely to take a job that is not right for you. We recommend that you send a minimum of 25 resumes each WEEK.

Give yourself job search targets to reach. Evaluate your job search in 1, 3 and 6 months. The average job seeker in the US takes about 4 to 5 months to land a new role, and if you have gone beyond that, it is imperative that you look at what you are doing with a very critical eye. At each milestone, ask yourself these questions to evaluate and resolve potential job search issues...

What is going well in my job search? What is not going well? How many first interviews have I received, how many second interviews? Am I getting at least 8 to 10% responses to my resume? Have I received an offer or multiple offers? Red flags to pay attention to - you have been on 8 first interviews and no 2nd interviews. Diagnose the problem, which is you have a good resume, know how to get the interview but fail to impress. Are you too chatty? Cologne too strong? Not following up? If you go on 4 interviews, you should get a job offer, that is the average ROI.

Your brand is not a brand.

I am in the resume business, and have been for over 17 years. I have worked with over 40,000 clients over those years and we count ourselves to be among the most successful and prolific resume companies in the US. When I say I have 40,000 customers, I mean that me personally, I have interviewed 40,000 people. What does that make me? Crazy? No, it makes me informed. I know that every job seeker has a different target, a different take and a different attitude on themselves and their careers. Do you know the one thing that all 40,000 have in common? They all want to be acknowledged for their skills, they want to be paid fairly and they want to be recognized for their success. Now, those things come in all shapes and sizes, but ultimately, contrary to popular public/political/newsworthy beliefs, we are all the same in that respect. The difference between a successful and not so successful job search is branding. I have had clients who have had their resumes in their hands for 2 days and have 6 job interviews lined up and other clients who have had it for 6 months and can't get an interview. The key is to know your brand - what you are good at, where you fit and who is going to find you most interesting. The most common thread in an unsuccessful job search is that candidates don't know their brand, their identity and their strengths. They are haphazardly applying for all kinds of jobs with no real focus or direction. Your brand is comprised of your expertise, your skills set and your mojo. If you know that you are a kick-ass Account Manager and can communicate your value, then you know your brand. If you are unfocused and are applying for all kinds of wildly varying jobs, ie wine steward, business analyst, customer support, accountant, oil rig worker or a bevy of other non related roles, your brand does not exist.

Robynn Storey, PHR - Author/Business Owner/Brand Developer

www.storeylineresumes.com - 724-832-8845

Storeyline Resumes is a very popular, affordable and successful resume writing firm, helping clients from all over the world to develop their best brand. Robynn welcomes calls, texts or emails from candidates struggling to successfully mount job searches or are in need of re-branding tools to live their best professional life.