Why can’t I find a job?

If you’ve been asking yourself this question recently, trust me you’re not alone.

Searching
for a new job can be a difficult and frustrating task especially when
you are out of work or when you are in a job you hate and want to
escape.

If you can’t find a job and are increasingly frustrated
with your lack of results, let’s look at the possible reasons for this
outcome:

1. You are not getting interviews: If you aren’t
getting interviews, your resume and cover letter are not doing their
jobs. Their job is to get you interviews. Either that, or you are
applying for the wrong jobs. Your resume and cover letter need to sell
you to the employer and show them why you are the best person for the
job. Alternatively, are you applying for jobs you really have no chance
of getting? If so, don’t waste your time or the time of the employer
who might eventually have a job that suits you that you should be
applying for.


2. You are getting interviews but not job offers. If you are unable to close the deal in the interview process, look for
possible problems: Are you coming across as too aggressive or laid back
during interviews? Are you asking for too much money? Is your style of
dress turning interviewers off? Are you better on paper than you are in
person? Get as much feedback as possible (ask for positive and negative feedback) from any employer you interview with who has turned
you down for a job. Make improvements for future interviews by fixing
your mistakes.

3. Are your references hurting you? This
can be a difficult one to figure out but are you certain that your
references are speaking as highly of you as you hope and expect? I’ve
done references that actually hurt the candidate! Yes, bad references
do happen and they can cost you jobs. Carefully think about who you are
using as references and determine if they are helping or hurting you.
If you are finding that employers are doing references on you and you
are not getting job offers, there might be something wrong in the
reference check stage.