We are very glad to welcome back Jeremy Johnson who has a new guest blog post this week on how you can make sure you are not in your own way when job searching.
Jeremy is a recruiter in Kansas City for EHD Technologies, a recruiting, staffing and managed services company serving the IT, Engineering and Automotive industries.
Get Out of Your Own Way in Your Job Search:
Has your job search been tough? Difficult? Frustrating? No fun? A royal pain in the you know what?
Well, that’s pretty standard for most folks. The job hunt isn’t easy. Just be sure you’re not the one doing something to make it harder than it needs to be.
Could you be doing everything right and still have your job search drag on? Sure. There are no guarantees. You can’t force someone to offer you a job. All you can do is focus on what you can control, and push the odds toward you instead of against you.
The bad news about your job search is that there’s a lot you can’t control. The good news is that there’s a lot that you can. You just have to do it.
So, if any of the obstacles in your job search are self-induced, make sure you’re aware of them and then do something about it. Chances are most of those obstacles fall somewhere on this list:
- Your resume – The resume is not a necessary evil that you slap together as quickly as you can so you can start rapid-firing online applications. It’s a targeted marketing piece that shows how you’re the right person to solve a company’s particular problem or need. It’s a hiring manager’s first impression of you as a potential employee. If you don’t feel like you know exactly how to put one together, ask for help. Or, go to the internet. It’s a great resource. Remember, you don’t get a job until you first get a phone call. And it’s the resume that gets you the phone call. So, do it right.
- Your skills – If you lack the skills for the jobs you’re going after, you’re going to have problems. Applying for a job just because it’s something you want to do, think you could do, or just feel would be cool to do is a waste of time. Employers don’t hire you because you want the job. They hire you because they believe you can do the job. And they won’t believe you can do the job if your resume doesn’t reflect the skills needed for it. It’s time to either gain those skills some other way or find something else.
- Your appearance – Granted, I’m no spring chicken anymore, and maybe I’m just becoming a giant buzz kill as I get older, but I honestly think people care less and less about their professional appearance in their job search today. It’s not everybody – not by a long shot. But, it’s way more people than it should be. Here’s my advice: if you’re meeting someone – anyone – for a job-hunting related activity (formal interview, informational interview, networking, informal lunch, whatever), dress to impress. That includes showering, shaving, ironing your clothes, dressing professionally, brushing the cat hair off of your suit, and even cleaning the freaking mud off of your shoes!! I’m absolutely stunned by what people are comfortable with presenting as their first impression when a potential job is on the line. And this cuts across skill sets and income levels.
- Your attitude – I’ve seen this trait sink more people than I can count. Even if you have the “right skills,” as I just mentioned above, but your attitude sucks, you’re not getting hired. If you’re not the type that’s good at self-reflection, you either need to find a way to get better or ask a trusted friend for honest feedback — on how you come across to people (for interviews) or your general attitude about your job hunt (for searching, networking, applications and other things job search related).
- Your communication – Or lack thereof. Poor communication or absence of communication can kill job prospects. Even if you’re not a naturally gifted communicator, or just really shy or introverted, you still have to effectively and professionally demonstrate through words – whether written or spoken – why you’re the right person for the job. And if you are a good communicator in-person with people but don’t provide proper and timely FOLLOWUP communication, you could still be sunk.
- Your effort – You’ve probably heard the saying that job hunting is a job. That’s so true. You can’t just phone it in. The job search takes work. It takes research, practice, phone calls, emails, follow-up, interview preparation. It’s easy to not give 100%. But, I think we’re all in agreement, the job search isn’t easy. So, you have to put in the effort.
- Your persistence – This goes hand in hand with your effort, but it’s not the same thing. You could give maximum effort, but if it’s only for a week, it probably won’t do you much good. This may be the hardest thing to do, especially if you keep getting nailed with disappointment after disappointment. Trust me, I know this one better than you can imagine. But, I’ll tell you the same thing I told myself years ago in my own job search, “What’s your alternative?” Really. What IS your alternative? Whatever it is, it ain’t good. Keep up the work; keep chipping away at it; keep tapping into your support system. Just find a way – any way – to not quit.
- Your strategy – Hey, if what you’re doing isn’t working, try something else!! If your resume isn’t getting any hits, think about how to change it. If you’re putting in the effort, but it doesn’t seem to be working, change it. If you’re getting interviews but not getting offers, change how you interview. If you feel like something’s going wrong in your search, but you can’t pinpoint exactly what, ask for help. The strategy doesn’t have to come from you. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Get some advice. Do some research. You can’t afford to go on auto-pilot.
- Your flexibility – Are you asking for too much money? Maybe you need to take a step back on your salary. Are you only willing to commute 30 minutes to work? Maybe you need to extend it to 45. Are you only willing to consider permanent, direct hire positions. Maybe you need to consider similar roles that are contract-to-hire. I’m not one to tell someone what’s the right situation for them, but if you’re putting restrictions on your job search, you at least owe it to yourself to consider if any of those are self-imposed roadblocks that are keeping you out of work.