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Job Search – Why Can’t I Get Hired?

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Today’s job market is tough and not as it’s advertised. You say, ‘I have applied to almost 100 different jobs, why can’t I get hired?’

I can totally understand your dilemma of not getting job interviews. I know what it’s like to be without a job and worse case scenario not knowing what the future might hold.

Sadly, many qualified candidates are being rejected for a gamut of reasons.

The most common reasons that most corporate recruiters say are as follows:

  • Unwillingness to relocate

Unwillingness to relocate could, in fact, hurt your career. Jobs are scarce these days and now is not the time to be picky! Being flexible to relocate can get you the job. So, relocate for better opportunities and exposure. Be deliberate about what you want in order to advance your career.

  • Being overqualified

This shouldn’t be a barrier to getting hired. But often times it is. The best strategy here is to tweak your cover letter and resume to address the elephant in the room. Explain to the hiring manager why you consider yourself fit for the role even though your experience is a mismatch.

  • Blaming your past employer or co-worker

Corporate recruiters say this is one of the most common mistakes candidates make. Throwing their past employer or co-worker under the bus and venting out to the hiring manager with reasons for leaving their previous organization.

[bctt tweet=”*Important Job Tip – Don’t ever blame your past employer or co-worker, just focus on the experiences you learned and knowledge you gained while working with them.” username=”myaptask”]

  • Candidate resume and interview presentation skills

Make sure your resume, cover letter, and the interview are getting the point across about your experience, skills, and knowledge. Be clear and specific with numbers when sharing information about your past work. Sound enthusiastic.

  • Showing no passion or lacking interest

When you’re interviewing, hiring managers want to hear about how passionate and excited you are about the job; apply for only those job positions that you genuinely want. Otherwise, it’s could be a bad fit for you and you could end up feeling disappointed later on in your career.

  • Extremely high salary expectations

Always check what the current salary range is for the job you’re applying through Glassdoor or ask a friend or referral. Never assume or quote extremely high salary as this could lead to you not being offered the job.

I would like to share one last tip when it comes to applying for a job – You need to stand out! You need to do something to separate yourself from the crowd that is also applying for the exact same job as you are.

You could use social media (preferably LinkedIn) as a powerful personal brand to give you an edge in the job market. Search for jobs and join relevant groups online. Many hiring managers think it is important for candidates to have at least one social media account.

I agree that in this new era, where the rules have drastically changed from what it was decades ago, you need to keep up with the technology changes, look out for yourself and avoid these above-mentioned mistakes. This is not just some random happy-talk, it’s the reality my friend! You could lose if you don’t consider learning from these mistakes while job hunting. So, think about it!

Thank you for reading and sharing this post. Do comment below with your opinions!