Not Getting Hired? Here are the Top 6 Reasons Why (And What You Can Do About Them)
Finding a job is not the easiest thing to do. But when you do find one, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. With that said, here are six major reasons you have not found a job yet and what you can do about them;
Not convincing recruiters that you are the one they are looking for: Businesses exist to make a profit. Non-profit organizations also exist to make an impact. Whatever organization you are looking to work with, there is that one question on the mind of the recruiter - Are you the One! So, except you can successfully convince a recruiter that you are the best fit for the role, you will not get hired.
To rectify this, you will have to take a critical look at all the documents you send out in relation to a job application - resume, cover letter, job application letter, LinkedIn profile, Reference List, Portfolio, expression of interest letter, etc.
You want to make sure that every single document (electronic or hard copy) sells you as the one - the best candidate for the job. Specifically, you want to make sure of the following;
That your resume and cover letter are tailored to the particular job you are applying for.
That your resume and cover letter are optimized for applicant tracking systems.
That your LinkedIn profile is complete, professional, and relatable.
Not being persistent: Finding a job is hard work. It will take perseverance and a never-give-up attitude to keep at it even when it looks like nothing is happening. But, it is in your consistency of getting up to do all you can to land that job that fortune will someday smile on you. Yes, you have applied for 1, 2, 5, 10 maybe 20 jobs. But what if you gave up at 20 jobs and your breakthrough was the 21st job? The message is to never give up.
Every rejection you get should propel you to try harder, not give up. However, you want to make sure you are applying for the right jobs. No matter how many applications you send to a job you are barely qualified for, you may never get hired. Hence, it is advisable to understand what you have to offer and look out for those jobs that you are at least 70% qualified for and apply for them. Keep applying to the right jobs over and over and over again and one day, you will land that job.
Not having the right combination of hard and soft skills: Employers are on the lookout for one thing - Substance. They want to know if you are that one person that will bring them the most form of value in terms of contribution. All they want to know throughout the application process is what you can do for them - what value you bring to the table.
In essence, recruiters and employers are big on skills - hard skills and soft skills. They want to know how well you can accomplish given tasks and in what ways. If you cannot show them that you possess the most important skills for a given job, the likelihood of you getting that job is almost zero.
Hence, you want to make sure you have the skills they are looking for. To achieve this, you can do the following;
Determine what job roles you are interested in.
Look for at least five job descriptions in your selected job role.
Examine each of these job descriptions and highlight the hard skills and soft skills employers listed.
Determine which skills you possess and which you do not.
For the identified skills you possess, ensure they are clearly communicated through your experience, skills, and professional summary sections of your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, etc.
For the identified skills you do not possess, make a plan to acquire them. Check for free courses online, volunteer, or take on internships, practice, etc. You can discuss further with a mentor or research online about how to develop the skills you lack.
Not strategically growing your network: Most job openings rarely make it to job boards. This is why you need to strategically grow your network. You need that one person that will hint at you about an opening in their organization or refer you to openings in other firms. They can also provide you with valuable information that will go a long way in helping you position yourself appropriately to land a job. To strategically grow your network, you want to ensure you have done/are doing the following;
Determine what your major career goals are (what industry, company, role, etc are you looking to work in?)
Leverage mentors, professors, friends, etc. to introduce you to other individuals in their network that are in line with what you want to do.
Leverage informational interviews as a way to start relationships with potential contacts.
Utilize LinkedIn to connect with as many individuals in your line of work
Keep building the relationship genuinely.
The lack of preparedness for opportunities: Someone once said that the acronym ‘poor’ simply means passing over opportunities repeatedly. You don’t want this to be you. Landing your dream job can happen when you least expect it. Hence, you want to be prepared at all times to take advantage of opportunities to land a job whenever and wherever. Imagine being introduced to someone and the person asks for a way to reach you, wouldn’t it be more professional to hand out a personalized business card? Or maybe share the url to your already optimized LinkedIn profile or your personal website when an individual wants to know more about you and your experiences?
You also want to be prepared for interviews or have a ready resume template and cover letter that you tweak a little whenever you come across a job opportunity you feel qualified for. This way, you can strike while the iron is hot and not apply at the last minute or miss deadlines altogether.
Not making a great and lasting first impression every time there is an opportunity to do so: It takes a few seconds for an individual to form an opinion about another. As a job hunter, you want to be memorable so you come to mind whenever opportunities arise. This means being prepared at all times and being polite and professional in your dealings with others. If you make a great first impression, the possibility of having a lasting relationship or being considered for opportunities in the future is very likely. To achieve this, you want to make sure of the following;
That your social media presence (LinkedIn inclusive) is as professional and relatable as possible. You want to be able to portray yourself as an individual that can be trusted and that is worth their onions. So, you want to ensure that the impression you give through your social media accounts portrays you in a good light to anyone who comes into contact with your profiles online.
That you are kind, polite, courteous, and professional at all times.
That you communicate appropriately.
That you give your best and do your best in anything you do.
While there are several other reasons why you may not have landed your dream job yet, these five major reasons stand out. If you can take your time to ensure all five issues raised are properly addressed, we are confident that you will be able to land a job in no time.