I've met some job seekers who I can only describe as great characters for a motion picture comedy. I wish sometimes I could record these individuals and post them here so all you Careerealists could offer them advice - I guarantee there would be a field day in the comment section! That being said, I thought I'd throw up some examples of the silly job seekers I've encountered.
The Excusinator
These job seekers have an excuse for EVERYTHING. They don't apply for any positions because they write-off job after job for the littlest things. Combined with their incredible ability to procrastinate, they are shocked when yet another week has gone by and they haven't made any progress on their job search.
The Mind-Melding Thinkster
These job seekers assume their telepathic powers and mental superiority will enable them to persuade people to offer them jobs. While they say or do nothing, they sincerely believe employers will figure out they are the perfect candidate for the job. And why not? They've spent the last two months locked in their house, not talking to anyone, so they could use their super-human brain capabilities to design their resume. They are convinced a mere glance at their credentials should get them the interview.
The Mind-Melding Thinksters are shocked when they complete 100+ online applications and don't hear back from a single employer. Forget networking to find someone they know at the company, or even picking up the phone and making a follow-up call to see where the company is in the hiring process - this job seeker doesn't want to actually have to communicate with anyone to get the job.
The Talk-O-Holic
The complete opposite of the Mind-Melding Thinksters, these job seekers have verbal diarrhea. It's a non-stop, 24/7 , "me, me, me" discussion. They LOVE meeting new people, but for all the WRONG reasons. They accost strangers, past colleagues, family, friends, friends of friends, and so on, blatantly trying to figure out in 30-seconds or less whether or not you can help them land a job.
After a quick sizing up, if you don't seem valuable, they abruptly dump you for their next victim. But, that's far better than what happens to the poor folks who they think could help them. The Talk-O-Holic corners them, demanding introductions and pushing them for referrals. When the uncomfortable encounter is over, victims have to go home and take a shower to get the Talk-O-Holic's drool off them.
The Negativesaurus
These job seekers are the ultimate joy-kill. Every other word they utter is negative. Nobody wants to be around them - especially employers! They complain non-stop. If a T-shirt was created that said, "Poor Me. Ask Why." - they'd buy it. Everything about them scares people away, which only makes them feel even more sorry for themselves.
Heaven forbid they focus on the positives in their life. And honestly, while they don't see it, they are being really selfish. Pushing a negative attitude on to others is self-serving. Nobody invited them to show up and make people feel uncomfortable. Come to think of it - that's an ideal job for the Negativesaurus! Anyone hiring demotivation experts these days?
Learn How To Avoid Being One Of These Characters
Okay, so I'm being a bit cheeky with the descriptions above. (Although, I swear I really have met these types of folks and I know you have, too!) However, if you are saying to yourself, "Well, I might be just a tiny bit guilty of being one of these," then I've got a solution.
Join me over at CareerHMO where we regularly discuss the right way to build a framework for a successful job search. Learn how to avoid becoming a 'job search character' that employers don't want. Better still, we'll share the simple secrets to being irresistible to hiring managers.
Become Irresistible to Hiring Managers
P.S. Have you met any of the above? Tell us about them!
Got any good stories to share about your experience with similar individuals? Share them below and let's all have a laugh! Better still, got anything witty to say to them? I'm not good with the snappy one-liners, so I'd love to hear what you would say to these folks to provide some comic relief.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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