Why You’re Still Unemployed: Career Searching is a Job

Looking for a job sucks. It’s tedious, time consuming, repetitive, and produces no guarantee that in the end you will actually land the position. The only thing that is worse than having to look for a career, is not having one in the first place. Being unemployed is soul crushing and miserable, and can eventually lead to long-term unemployment.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009 and 2010 saw some of the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression, hovering around 10%. For many 20 somethings, myself included, this was the same time when we were graduating from college and attempting to start our careers, only to be met with a terrible job market.

Fortunately, the situation is getting better as we enjoy the lowest unemployment rates since 2008. This means that employers are willing to take more chances and hire you. However, that’s not to say that it’s easy. Career searching is still a skill and there are many ways to be successful but even more ways to stifle yourself.

You need to make sure that as a prospective employee, you are taking the right steps in maximizing the chances of landing your dream job. As a hiring manager, I have seen a variety of good and bad things along the way. The way a person works is irrelevant if the way they approach their job search is sub-par. You can’t get to the finish line if you haven’t even properly registered for the race.

A huge mistake I see people regularly make is not re-writing their cover letter for every position, or not having a cover letter at all. It’s painfully obvious when someone is using a cover letter template, and the prospective hire just replaces the name of the company and the hiring manager’s name. Typically, their personal statements are broad and could cover a variety of job positions. It makes the employer feel like they didn’t care when applying for the job. Ultimately the process of writing individual cover letters may be more time consuming, but the results will pay off.

If you feel like you apply to too many jobs to tailor each cover letter, you should re-think your strategy and choose positions that you actually desire and those that you know you’re qualified for. From the employer’s perspective, if you were too lazy to properly apply, there’s a good chance you will be too lazy to perform the tasks required.

On the other side of things, not applying to enough jobs can also restrict you from landing a position. There are so many variables when searching for a job, and even more stipulations within the hiring process itself that there are no guarantees. Holding out and waiting to hear from the dream job that you applied to two months ago means that you are passing up potential opportunities now. Make sure to check the job boards frequently, and again, make sure that you have at least the minimum qualifications before investing your time and applying.

Don’t over or undervalue yourself. If you want to be successful in your job search you need to have a realistic understanding of yourself, your skills, and your experience. If you are applying to a management or director position, it’s likely the company will want you to have directing or management experience. On the same note, don’t undervalue yourself. When you are clearly over-qualified for a job it immediately sends up red flags as to why you are applying to a lesser paying position. If you are trying to change your field, it’s understandable, but that should be made clear in the cover letter.

Formatting your resume is also another entirely different skill that could be covered in its own  article. The most important thing is that it’s easily readable and has the most relevant experience for the position. It’s a good idea to cater your resume and highlight certain skills for every job that you apply to, especially if you have a large range of experience. Try to avoid redundancy. For instance, if you worked as a blogger for two years, you don’t need to have “blogging” under your skills, as it’s taking up precious resume real estate.

Take consideration when looking for your ideal career. Find companies and organizations that you really want to work for and use any networking connections you have to get started. Looking for work can be a daunting task, but when done properly, certainly pays off. You’ll end up in your dream career as opposed to just another “job.” Remember these tips, stay positive, and good luck in your search!