Let Go of the Failed Job Search: 5 Things That You Have No Control Over

Marilyn Albert

Have you ever applied for the “perfect job” only never to hear back from the company? You think what went wrong, or even worse, “What was wrong with me?” After another tough year in the job market, it’s time to let go of all things you had absolutely no control over. Yes, there are things that you have no control over in the job search process. Today, we’re going to talk about five things where things could go wrong and how to fix them.

In the last month, I have talked with dozens of employers including those attending the Wisconsin Association of Colleges and Employers conference held in Madison last week. With all the new information out there, I found a hidden “glitch” which is creating polarizing effect in the way job applications are processed.

On one end, the news is good: there are jobs out there and once again the Great Lakes region came out on top with an increase of 16% in recruitment of new employees (Recruiting Trends 2010—2011 survey published by Career Services and the Collegiate Employment Research Institute and copyrighted, © 2011-2012, by Michigan State University). On the other end, the screening process has become so precise that qualified candidates who are perfect for the job can get overlooked. So, STOP right now. Stop blaming yourself for a failed job search.

Recruiters are telling me these are the top five reasons applicants get eliminated and for which they have little or no control over. I added how to FIX them.

1. Dated information: New technologies in screening applications have developed over the past year and recruiters can easily read and eliminate applications based on key words. Written materials about the job search are already obsolete. Example: Calling to follow-up on an application submission is considered annoying.
Fix: If you call, make sure you have new information to add to your application. Don’t insist on talking to a hiring manager. All recruiters are looking at the same software management system so anyone can see your file.

2. Competition: The ratio of applicants per job is 500/1. As sad as that sounds, the new screening software helps recruiters to find top candidates. Also, keep in mind people are competing against a fixed candidate pool for each job they apply for.
Fix: Keep applying for jobs with the same company-it’s okay to have multiple applications.

3. Electronic Transmittal: There are all sorts of things that can go wrong when emailing or uploading a resume and cover letter. Weird page breaks can occur, edit notations can suddenly appear, formatting is changed. Be careful to change the job titles and company names on your cover letter.
Fix: Save your document as a PDF and following the application instructions. Double check job titles & company names.

4. Inside Candidates: Companies can post jobs internally first, then externally. Internal candidates have first chance at postings. If they don’t find a qualified candidate in the internal posting then they will look at the external candidates. It’s not always obvious when this is happening.
Fix: Read hiring guideline sections of HR webpages in addition to the job search section.

5. “Match”: One of the biggest mistakes I see are people who apply for jobs that are NOT a good match. They may be close, but with so many applicants per job an employer can find a pool of candidates that are a perfect match.
Fix: If you don’t feel certain about the job, then look for something else. Find the job where you hit all the keywords. You can be precise, too.

Therefore, my best holiday advice to all the job searchers out there: stop blaming yourself for things you have no control over.

Make List

Today, it's about lists. For all the job seekers who have no idea what they want to do or are looking for, I suggest a day of writing. Close down the job search engines and get a fresh new legal pad. Find your favorite writing device and a comfortable chair. I prefer a hammock on my patio on these bright sunny days. Whatever your choice, make sure you are comfortable and ready to brainstorm with yourself. This is a lone walk for you, do it by yourself first. You can ask others to join in on a different day. But for now, this is your day, your brainstorm, your stuff.

Make a list of everything you have done. Write it down whether you were good at it-- or not, whether you liked it--or not. Don't limit yourself to just work tasks, think outside the cubicle. Think of the things you have done that fun while you were on a vacation. Think of favors you have done for friends. Think of clubs and organizations. Think of children and grandparents. Think about what's important to you. Think of your values.

Here are some examples:
Read a book
Rake the lawn
take a photograph
operate a digital camera
snow ski
water ski
teach a child to tie his shoes
create a blog
change a tire
type a letter
paint a picture


I think you get the idea. I just want people to truly understand we do so many things. Some of those things are very enjoyable and some are a real pain. Lots of times I teach people about the opposites. Once you can identify the opposites there is a huge range of possibilities scattered in between.

Once you have written as much as you can, keep writing. If you have 50 items, think of 50 more. You are never done. I once had a person fill up about 20 pages of a legal pad. It was phenomenal. He had enough material, that we worked on his list for several sessions. We found the common denominators and continuous thread of interests that he was really excited about. We crossed out things. We added more things. When we were done, we were able to identify all of his favorite things, differentiate between work and fun activities, as well as eliminate activities he hated to do. These pages became very important to him. He was able to focus on what he really wanted to do. He identified skills he wanted to learn more about.

These pages can become very important to you. It is a living document--you can add more information and delete other information. You can stop an pause as you think about different jobs and activities. You can lay the legal pad in you lap and take a nap. Just be easy on yourself. Include your values. What is important to you. By the end of the day it is possible to be very satisfied in this process. I believe in hand-writing this type of exercise. Don't do it on the computer. I want you to engage your brain with your body. It's even better if you can do this as soon as you wake up.

If you want you can send me your list via this blog. I will be glad to look at it.

Remember! Anything you do that moves you closer to finding the essential YOU counts as a very productive day.

What are Employers Truly Interested In?

A few weeks ago, I attended the Wisconsin—Association of Colleges and Employers (a regional meeting for the National Association of Colleges and Employers [NACE]). NACE is the gatekeeper and watchdog for college students seeking jobs. Whenever you hear a statistic about the market for college graduates, NACE is doing the research and publishing the results.

NACE brings college career counselors together with hiring managers to exchange information from both sides of the job search arena. College career counselors are representing college students to employers, and employers are revealing job search tactics that get their attention.

My question to employers:

With job applications increasing by 300% how do you sort through this many applications and narrow it down to people you are truly interested in?

Employers revealed three major tactics:
• Frequency
• Persistence
• Repeat Applications

Frequency, attend as many networking events as you can. Attend job fairs, information interviews, and mock interviews. Don’t be afraid to attend business mixers, Chamber events and industry fairs. Apply for more than one job at a company. Employers track this information. They will go back to their offices and document the name and employment interest of everyone they meet. They have elaborate electronic systems that track this information. Employers will get your name from a conversation with you, sign-in sheets, name tags, etc.

Persistence, no matter now frustrate you are keep active in your job search. Do something every day. Review job search sites, review and update resume. Match keywords in resume with job descriptions. Do company research. Do something every day.

Repeat Applications, if you applied for a job with a company you are truly interested, but didn’t get the job, apply again when the next job opens up.

These are great strategies, not only for students, but for anyone engaged in a serious job search.

Other Information:
1)Employers revealed they only read resumes for 7-10 seconds on the first pass.
2)Employers are more interested in graduates that begin their job search prior to graduation or immediately after. Don’t take the summer off. Even if you are planning a trip, apply now. You are always available vie cell phone or email not matter where you are. If you wait to the end of summer, employers interpret that as a red flag.

Top Best Cities For Recent College Graduates
(Includes average rent for a one-bedroom apartment)

Indianapolis - $625
Philadelphia - $1,034
Baltimore - $1,130
Cincinnati - $691
Cleveland - $686
New York - $1,548
Phoenix - $747
Denver - $877
Chicago - $ 1,133
San Antonio - $696

http://CBcampus.com

The top industries for summer job hiring include:

Hospitality (38%)
Retail (34%).
Office support (26%),
Customer service (18%),
Research (12%),
Landscape/maintenance (11%)
Restaurant/food service (11%)

I have changed my view. I no longer have easy and quick access to the ocean. I have moved to the middle of county. My view has changed and so has my view point. I have to admit my view point is much much better. I am not as stressed or sad as I used to be. I am not saying everything is hunky-dory, I am just saying there is a better balance between my work and my life. I feel more appreciated at work, and I come already relaxed. I don't have to spend two hour decompressing from a hectic day at work. I am writing more about things I know more about. I have started two blogs and twitter.

If you are a job seeker you may want to take a look at my other blog and twitter. Both titled: Getajobgetalife (Get a Job Get a Life). They are all about helping people helping people to do a job search. I talk about resumes, cover letters and information I get from working with hiring managers. I had to change jobs, in part, due to the economy so I know what it is like to have to be out their job seeking, interviewing, getting turned down, etc. However, I did land somewhere totally unexpected and now I have the energy and balance to help others.

Have a great day.

Persistance and frequency pay off. Go to as many job fairs and recruiting events as possible. I just returned from a regional National Association of Colleges and Employers day-conference. I kept asking the same question all day: With a 300% increase of applicants, how do employers figure out who they will interview and eventually hire. The response was overwhelming. Those candidates that attend career events (job fairs, mock interviews, information interviews); and, go to business mixers (see your local Business Journal for dates and locations) show employers you are serious about your job search. I hadn't realized that professional recruiters record every name of every person they network with. They go back to their offices and enter names, skills, and areas of interests for every person they talked to about jobs. When your application comes up in their system, they already know how many times they have made a contact with you or heard your name.

Another resource for recruiters is LinkedIn. I was amazed at how many recruiters mentioned using it to find qualified candidates. It is free form them and it is free for you! How to best use a media networking resource: create your profile. Then do searches for the types of companies you want to work for. Example: Search for American Family Insurance and see how many people are linked. BTW I don't work for American Family.

Are you looking for a job?

This blog will offer job search advice for the job seeker. I have a passion for the job seeker. I have been one as well as help others to successfully find jobs. I will provide job search tips and advice that get great results. I have use these tips for my own job search, and I use them in my practice as a professional career counselor. I have worked with college students, executives, and dislocated workers. Mostly, I work with frustrated job seekers. They come to me very sad and in desperate need of help. I have developed great techniques that have helped even the most disappointed job seeker. Techniques that get results.


I am doing this a free service the job seeker. Let others know about this blog. If people are really down about their job search, if they are truly frustrated and think NOTHING is going to help, then they need this blog.

Never, never, never give up!

Respectfully,
Get a Job Get a Life