Why You’re Not Landing That Job

I review hundreds of resumes on any given month to help clients find employment. The ones I focus on, however, are those who have a tough time finding a job. What I’ve come to find is a connection between these potential job candidates’ behavior and the mistakes they make but can’t pinpoint.

1. They’re not focused. Many of those having a hard time finding work apparently enjoy job-hopping. They lack the ability or perhaps the attention span to sit down and plan their job paths. In other words, they don’t have any direction. They stay at one place for a few months – maybe a year at most – and move on to another job. When asked why, they reveal that they were completely unhappy with the jobs they’re at. Only problem is, when we sit down to conduct a job search, they’re still picking random jobs based on location or pay rate. And that’s fine, as long as they have a plan and pick jobs that have some sort of connection, like the same industry, or similar responsibilities.
2. Everyone else is to blame. Many times with this focus group, I notice that they don’t try to understand what went wrong with their job interview. All they’re focused on is the rejection, which they take personally as I’ll discuss in the next point. They refuse to own up to anything they may be contributing to not landing those jobs. For example, if a recruiter calls and you decide you’re not in the mood to talk about jobs at that time, guess what? It’s your fault. Another example would be agreeing to show up at the recruiter’s place and not following up, without a phone call or a good reason. Guess what? Yes, that’s right.
3. They give up. Rejections are not easy, that’s obvious. Not to sound cheesy, but every rejection is a learning experience, one that brings you closer to a better opportunity. Many of my clients don’t buy this at all. They become bitter and angry at everyone and anyone, and start the blame game. If they had taken the time to focus and draw out a plan, they wouldn’t be in such a predicament. Think about it: they’re not focused, they’re job-hopping, and they’re not learning from their experiences. It all adds up to further rejections.
4. They don’t follow up. Unfortunately, many job candidates are still clueless as to the importance of sending a thank you note after an interview. It really does make a difference. Also, they don’t realize that you can follow up with an interviewer if you haven’t heard back from one within three days. That is, if you’re satisfied with the interview and still want the position, there’s nothing wrong with emailing the interviewer(s) back and asking about the position. It will give them one more opportunity to sell themselves as the ideal candidate for the job.

Job hunting is not easy. In fact, it can turn out to be one of the most frustrating experiences ever. But with a little planning, a lot of focus, and less blaming, the ideal job will land in your lap in no time.