4 Things You Do That Work Against You in Your Job Search

Many people search for jobs for months or even years without success. They then conclude the game is rigged against them. This may not be true.

In many cases jobseekers make things difficult for themselves.

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After working with several organisations to hire candidates, review applications and hold hundreds of interviews here are some of the ways I've found that candidates hurt their chances of getting a job.

1. Applying Aimlessly

So many jobseekers just apply to any job they feel they might like, without considering whether they actually fit in or qualify for the role.

This happens a lot more than people think.

To have higher chances of succeeding in your job search you have to be specific and intentional.

First identify the kind of jobs you'd like to do and that you have the skills and qualifications for.

Then narrow your search to just those. If you have a lot more focus on your job search you will have more chances of success. Don't do the spray and pray Method.

2. Having a weak CV

This cannot be overemphasised, the importance of your CV.

See your CV/Resume as your sales man. Your resume or CV sells your capability and suitability for the job, in your absence.

Your CV determines whether you get a chance at an interview where you can further impress the prospective employer or not.

We have written quite a few helpful articles on how to craft a winning CV. A winning CV is simply one that gets you invited to interviews.

If you are ready to build a compelling CV/Resume we invite you to use our Resume/CV builder to create a brand new CV for yourself in few minutes. Hundreds of jobseekers have used it to get themselves new impressive CVs or resumes.

3. Not Knowing Enough About Jobs Applied for

When a typical jobseeker comes across a job listing they think they are suited for they simply dive into applying. They do this without carefully going through the job post to understand exactly what the job requires and how the advertiser prefers candidates to apply.

The result is that many times I've seen candidates apply to a job wrongly or omitting some of the requirements.

Before applying to a job you come across here's a tip that you can adopt to make your applications as close to what the advertiser wants as possible.

Read through the job ad details and make a list of
(a) all the job requirements/qualifications
(b) applications steps

You want to first make sure you have a reasonable percentage of the requirements for the job (skills, educational qualifications, experience etc)

Then you make sure you understand the stated process or method of application. This includes taking note of any documents you are required to attach/include in your application such as CV,  cover letter etc.

After you make sure you are covered on the above you can proceed with applying, following the processes/steps stated in the job listing.

While this may slow down your application volume it is better to apply for 3 jobs per day correctly and stand a better chance than to send in 8 poor applications and stand no chance.

4. Poor Preparation for Interviews

Many people spend a lot of time applying for jobs only to get interviews and bungle them.

A job interview is a chance to impress recruiters/employers. You get invited to interviews because prospective employers or recruiters find your CV and/or application interesting enough.

The best you can do is give yourself a chance at impressing in the interview.

The following are ways you can prepare to perform well during your job interviews;

- learn all you can about the company before the interview; the more informed you are the better you'll be at answering some questions
- study related and possible questions for the kind of role you will be interviewing for: almost all roles will have types of questions you may be asked to test your domain knowledge, skill and experience. The more grounded you are on what to expect the better you can prepare. You can check some resources we compiled on job interview questions to expect.

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