Common job search problems
By far the most common problem I encounter in the job search is a lack of clarity. If you find that you don’t like any of the jobs, then describe what the ideal job would look like in detail, before searching for it. If you feel like you’ve followed all of these instructions fully and still can’t find something you’re interested in, there could be a couple of reasons for this, and maybe we need to go deeper again. I hope you’re starting to see that the best strategy is the one you create by deciphering what search criteria work best for you. To do this effectively, I encourage you to listen very carefully to what you like or don’t like about any given position. Then, use that feedback to update your search criteria. A word of caution: if you find yourself saying, 'no' to most or all of the roles, then something is radically wrong. Here are some common problems and solutions. If you find yourself:
Disliking the job in general — you are lacking clarity about what you like and dislike.
Not believing you can do the job — the level is too high, you’re underestimating your ability, or both! Action step: conduct a fact-based assessment of your level — they ask for 5 years’ experience. Do you have 5 years’ experience? And get honest feedback from a friend or colleague about your ability. They’ll be able to provide an outside perspective regarding whether you’re interpreting the job requirements accurately or being too harsh on yourself. Spoiler alert — most people are too harsh on themselves and underestimate their ability.
Disliking the job’s responsibilities — you’re searching for roles using the wrong skills. Action step: change the skills you’re searching for or reframe them. For example, if you like sales but find that all the jobs you come across want you to do mostly cold-calling as part of the sales lifecycle, and you don’t want to do that, then ask yourself, ‘what part of sales do I like?’. Maybe you actually like the account management and relationship building part of sales, as opposed to the prospecting and cold-calling. If so, use those keywords instead or remove ‘cold-calling’ from the search by using the minus (-) symbol.
Disliking the industry — remove the industry keyword that you don’t like (e.g., -construction)
Not understanding the terminology — you need to spend time digging deeper and learning about what everything means. Make sure you understand the industry-specific terminology, common acronyms and IT platforms through asking people and doing online research.
Making generalisations like: all jobs and companies are the same before trying the jobs and making an education, well-informed decision about them? Sometimes people can jump to conclusions about jobs or career paths without any knowledge or experience of them. As an analogy, imagine you never tried your favourite food because you just decided you wouldn’t like it? How much would you have missed out on?
Throwing in applications without adjusting them for the position or company, before deciding it’s impossible to get a new job.
Not making a consistent and dedicated effort to find interesting roles.