Why Can’t I Find a Job??!!

The Three Reasons You Can’t Find Your Next Role

Three Reasons You Can’t Find a Job: Insights from Hiring Experts

While Job Opportunities never looked more abundant than right now if you are a Job Seeker, actively or passively, the response rate for applicants has never seemed lower according to a CNBC Article talking to Job Seekers on the challenges they face.

CNBC – Great Labor Market! Job-Seekers Don’t See It

We’ll look at what Recruiters, Human Resources and Talent Acquisition professionals say are the key reasons people are finding it difficult to get attention throughout their job seeking process.

• Lack of Relevant Skills or Experience:

  • It’s sometimes a lack of skills and experience, and other times, when a candidate knows their experience is extensive, and they possess many of the skills a job opening is calling for, they may not have all of them, or enough that a company feels the gaps are those that can be filled through a reasonable upskilling training or onboarding process.

This linked article by Gitnux.org cites how 63% of recruiters say a shortage of talent makes their candidate targeting incredibly difficult with 76% cite great difficulty attracting the right talent they seek.

Lack of Talent in Recruiting

Hiring Managers consider the gaps in the requirements they need are among the top reasons. Because they do get a good number of candidates who do possess a sufficient amount of the skills and experience they need, they can set a standard for those they’ll consider at a higher level than at times when the job market, and corresponding candidate pool, is not as strong at is at times, as many feel it is today. Academics is part of that equation and challenge for the Job-Seeker, with many of the people they are up against for job opportunities having degrees, from Bachelor’s to Masters and MBAs, to PhDs, and those with added trainings and certifications that increase their value, and decrease the chances for those without.

• Job Search Strategy

  • The number of job boards available online has never been higher, as is the recruiting industry which accounts for a high percentage of job postings on the biggest job sites. Networking platforms are also more available than ever, with job-seekers and other career builders and professionals looking to connect with people in the same boat, which typically includes recruiters and other people in the hiring field who want to keep tabs on the latest conversations and feelings from the individual perspective. Utilizing networking has never been more available as well, and should be a significant part of the job search, with such a high percentage of those hiring on platforms like LinkedIn. In addition to simply clicking apply to jobs, it is worthwhile to connect with the Companies, Hiring Managers, and Talent personnel and proactively reach out to bring oneself directly to the people who make these decisions, and let them view the profile on the platform and offer far greater insight than the standard resume can every offer. Remember that those in the position of hiring only spend an average of 6-7 seconds reviewing an applicant’s resume due to the volume of applications received. So, the chances of the most well crafted resume will get the full attention it may deserve for adequate consideration is minimal. It simply takes more effort, action, and strategy for someone looking to accomplish their goal.

Another good article on what recruiting personnel find through the hiring process is the high percentage, 75% to be exact, that are rejected before a candidate’s resume even gets to a hiring manager:

Job Search Stats for Job Seekers to Understand

https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/7-top-job-search-statistics

• Soft Skills Deficiency:

  • A perceived lack of soft skills and ability to demonstrate a high aptitude of Emotional Intelligence will often lead to a presumption of poor cultural fit to the person hiring. Yes, technical skills, experience, track record of doing precisely what an open job may be targeting are of course a key, if not the most important, aspect of the top candidate list a hiring team will focus on.

CareerBuilder did a study that reveals that hiring managers called out the lack of interpersonal skills as a top reason, over 50%, a candidate will be excluded from their final candidate pool. A job-seeker should prioritize sharing specific examples of their level of quality and experience in: Strong Communication, Teamwork, Adaptability, EQ, Conflict Resolution, and Cross-Team Partnership, among others to go along with the skills and experience. Hiring Managers, Recruiters, are all looking for the total package, so if you know you have what a job opening is calling for, it is imperative to look for mentorship, to practice, and to build those skills with the same fervor that one likely gives to their work that they likely are far more passionate about. It is challenging, and frustrating, for any candidate who knows they are a ‘Perfect Fit’ for a job opening, and either get no response, or get that initial email, online test, or phone screen, and are quickly eliminated from contention due to the soft skills piece, because they may not have felt that it would matter. But IT DOES! And it is something an intelligent, interested, candidate can improve upon with the right focus and support to do so. The Harvard Business Review highlighted the increasing emphasis companies are placing on Cultural Fit, within which they consider the soft skills mentioned.

This LinkedIn Article details the impacts of Poor Cultural Fit within their organization and why it is critical to identify its potential as part of the screening and overall hiring process:

Team & Company Impacts of Cultural Fit

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-do-when-your-new-hire-poor-cultural-fit-cfp-cepa-cvga/

Overall, as is often the case with any journey or process someone is going through to accomplish any goal, the solution is multi-faceted. There is seldom a single area of focus that gets it done. These are just three of the main tactics that every serious Job-Seeker should include in their strategy and approach to move their career to the next level. The less effective strategies that fail to account for any of the components that we know those hiring are closely examining among the candidates who, at least on the surface, appear to be strong fits for their openings, are doing themselves a great disservice, and are likely find themselves on the outside looking in for far longer than would otherwise be. Don’t leave money on the table, or leave to chance that the savvy professional responsible for hiring will look past any missing area just to bring in a candidate with a great resume and skillset. Like all of us ‘We Want It All’. And while most know there is no perfect candidate, we will take as high a percentage of ‘It All’ as we can get. And in today’s market, those hiring are citing the fact that such candidates are a sufficient part of the candidates pool their job postings and open roles are looking for.