The most difficult challenges:
The most difficult part of a job search is that you don’t know when it will be over. The second most difficult part of a job search is that there is very little, if any, recognizable feedback to improve your success rate along the way and shorten your search.
Jobseekers ask, cry, and beg for help:
Most jobseekers I know are screaming on the inside. It goes something like this:
“I’ve researched your company; looked it up on LinkedIn, scrutinized your mission and values; and checked your ratings on Glassdoor. I also interviewed some of your former employees. Your mission and values resonate with me, and the job description is definitely something that I can do well. I am certain that I can bring value through this position. Just tell me what you want from me. Please be clear. And I’ll do it!”
Jobseekers get very little feedback. I have one client that, in the interview process, spent an hour with the president of a company. It’s been months and the company hasn’t contacted him. (Yes, the client has reached out multiple times.) When this scenario is repeated over and over, it gets discouraging and jobseekers become exhausted.
“I just want it to be over.”
There are several events (and non-events) that happen over and over in every job search:
- Applications submitted without any response.
- Generic responses to applications without any followup.
- Applications that receive a rejection notice with no real content. (At least it’s something.)
- Messages on answering machines with a promise for an interview, but the jobseeker is unable to get through to schedule it.
- Calls and promises from interested hiring professionals who never follow up.
- No response after one or more interviews with the same company.
- Job offers at interviews and no one follows up.
- Job offers by phone, and then the hiring professionals disappear.
These scenarios play out over and over again. Depending on the industry, it could be over a year for a person to find a job.
Since jobseekers don’t know when it will be over, it is almost impossible for them to plan ahead.
Just tell me what you want!
Jobseekers are asking and begging for feedback from hiring professionals.
“How do I improve my success rate?”
Yet companies rarely give credible, helpful feedback. Occasionally a recruiter, who is a true professional, will give reliable feedback to a jobseeker to help them in their search. This is rare.
The challenge of jobsearch feedback:
There are no established standards for cover letters, résumés, or for the responses to the most common interview questions. So even if a jobseeker receives feedback, it may be a matter of preference. The feedback may not be helpful in a future application.
Jobseekers are left to fend for themselves, learn by trial and error and help each other figure out the processes to improve their odds.
Where is the hope for a jobseeker?
Hiring professionals are working to improve their processes. They know that their Applicant Tracking Systems, Recruitment Database and Employee Competency software needs improvement and new systems have improved results for both hiring entities and jobseekers. They are working to find alternative means to identifying the best candidates. This includes psychological talent assessments, social media presence, referrals, and recommendations.
More and more, jobseekers are realizing that an industry has formed around hiring practices. They no longer see it as personal failure if they get professional help. A job coach or a career strategist, who understands the current hiring processes can reduce the time to employment and help you find a job that fits.
Do you have a career strategist or coach?
It’s essential to your job search. Choose wisely and shorten your time to employment.
