Why Most Job Seekers Will Spend the Rest of 2020 Not Getting Hired
Yes, there’s a global pandemic and times are tough. We all get that but there are still plenty of open jobs on the market. Last month alone the U.S. economy added almost 5 million jobs. So why will most job seekers be unsuccessful at getting hired this year? It’s because their approach sucks.
Most job seekers think it’s a game of numbers. They believe if they submit enough applications online they’ll eventually get lucky. The biggest mistake job seekers make is thinking that ONLY applying online will get them hired. I liken that approach to playing darts with your eyes closed and thinking you’ll hit the bullseye. I tell my clients if all they plan to do is submit their resume online they might as well throw it in the trash. That just isn’t enough. Someone will out play you and it will be easy for them to do so if applying online is your only move.
So how do you not be one of those unsuccessful job seekers? My answers is follow these 5 steps:
I go into detail on the 5 steps in my book but the short version is:
Build Your Brand: a) Get clear on what your career goal is, b) learn how to tell your own story well, and c) make a great first impression.
Leverage Your Network: Reach out to someone who is actually connected to the position you’re interested in to help get your resume in the right pile. Perhaps that’s someone already in your network. If not, use LinkedIn to figure it out.
Create Your Portfolio: You need much more than just a standard resume to stand out in the interview process. In my book, I talk about several tools to include in your interview portfolio such as a 30-60-90 day plan, work samples, and letters of recommendations.
Submit Your Application: This is the easy part!
Ace The Interview: There are a several things you should do before, during, and after the interview to maximize your odds of getting the offer. A few examples include: a) before: research the people who will be interviewing you, b) during: know how to use your portfolio during the interview, and c) after: send prompt thank you emails.
You can absolutely be the person who gets the offer but realize that you’ll be up against people who will be doing many or all of things above. You’ll need to up your game to give yourself the best chance possible. For more advice on each of the steps above to help you get hired, check out my book. It’s on sale on Amazon for $15.