4 Reasons Why Finding A New Job Is Getting Harder

The struggle is real. We often hear from individuals how difficult it is to find a new job, how they have applied to so many, and all they hear is crickets. Hiring Managers ghost them, they get generic thank you but no thank you emails and most often then not, they simply get radio silence.

In the news we see people crying because it has been a year and they are still looking for work, we have seen people standing in busy train stations holding up signs promoting their desire to get a job, we have even seen people apply to roles that are below their skill level, simply to get some sort of income coming in.

So let us break down the various possible reasons why it is so difficult to get a job – putting aside the most usual suspect – a poor resume.

First Reason Why

Your LinkedIn profile sucks. Yep, we said it. Your LinkedIn profile does not sell you at all. You have put in all that work into your resume, but neglected your electronic version. What you need to understand is, your LinkedIn version actually needs to be your resume on steroids. So it needs to be bigger badder better than your resume. Hiring Managers will be looking at your profile and they will be seeing what you talk about, what you comment on, who you follow, any additional information about you and yes, even your picture. So make it a good one. If your LinkedIn is sub-par, chances are you wont be getting that call. Because your LinkedIn is your digital resume that needs to sell you and show your upmost serious professional side. We are not being dramatic here, we are being honest.

Need help with your LinkedIn profile? Then check out how we can help here.

Second Reason Why

Ghost jobs. Sadly, many companies post jobs that do not exist. This is so they can build their network database. Imagine this – you are an IT company and you have a meeting with a recruitment agency to help you place a new candidate. If this agency can say they have a database of 100 IT specialist they can tap into immediately, wouldn’t that sound appealing?? You probably would hire them to make the placement for you.

Various companies and agencies do this. They have a database ready and waiting for when they really need someone. So if the job market is hot, they might as well add a listing into the mix and collect your details for the future. Meanwhile, you apply and wonder what you did wrong to not get a phone call.

Third Reason Why

Your resume was never even seen by the Hiring Manager. Usually you are competing against hundreds of applicants, so the chances that your resume was opened is 50/50 at best. Especially if you have applied later in the game. This is why you need to do the following three things – check for new postings daily so you are one of the first candidates, make sure your resume meets the key words to pass the ATS and pick up that phone and give the Hiring Manager a call.

Fourth Reason Why

The job was filled internally. It was always going to be filled internally, however, due to legal reasons a company must advertise any job openings to everyone. We don’t make the rules up, yet we do not agree. We support internal promotions and think it is a great thing. So why waste the time, money, energy and nerves of everyone to pretend they have a chance in a role when they never did?

In conclusion, there may not be many factors in your control, but what you can control – do. It will help close that gap between you and your next job. So update that LinkedIn profile, make sure your resume meets the selection criteria, keep your finger on the pulse with new job listings and pick up that phone – be proactive. It won’t mean you will get a new job immediately, but it sure will help you get one faster.

There are a few other reasons such as the economy, skill shortages and the continues battle between work from home and willingness to do more for less. That, however, are all topics on their own which we will discuss another day. So keep your eyes out for our future post by signing up to our newsletter.

My Career Angels…become who you want to be

If Opportunity Does Not Knock…Build A Door.

– Milton Berle

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4 Reasons Why Finding A New Job Is Getting Harder