Are ineffective job search strategies stopping your success?

Job search is hard!

No surprise there. For most people, job search is difficult.

Why does job search tend to be difficult?

There is a huge emotional component to job search.

• Our self-esteem is often tied to our work.
• Many of our friendships are made through work.
• Our families depend on the income we produce.
• We build our personal reputation on the work we do.
• Our financial success is connected to our ability to work.
• We define ourselves by our occupation.
• Our financial future and security is connected to the work we do.
• Job loss hits at the core of our identity.

What are ineffective job search strategies?

Ineffective job search strategies are any strategies that don’t bring you closer to winning a new job.

Well, so why would anyone keep using them?

We often build our strategies and ways of thinking based on people we like and trust. If our father (insert mother, cousin, best friend, colleague, boss) says, “We always did it this way,” we may think it is the only way.

Amazingly, people whose prime focus at work is on innovation, application development, or product development may still follow the “We always did it this way” philosophy if the message comes from someone they trust.

Identify ineffective job search strategies

Resume formats that worked 5 years ago.

Like many things, resumes change rapidly. The strategy that worked 5 years ago may not work today or it may not work for you because the resumes weren’t built for your job type, career path, or career level.

You need to have your own unique style that fits you personally and is proven to be effective in today’s job search market.

Listening to the wrong voices.

You may think your brother-in-law knows everything but he may not be a job search expert. Stop listening to the wrong voices.

Not using LinkedIn

I can guess that at least one person reading this is smiling now. Back in November, I was working with someone who flat out told me in our introductory call that she didn’t think she would ever use LinkedIn. I gave her a number of reasons why she should and by the end of the call, she was convinced.

Today, she has 1000+ connections, has a Rockstar LinkedIn profile that I use as an example frequently, and though she wasn’t planning to get a new job, she starts a dream job on March 29 and will be able to continue her entrepreneur path at the same time.

LinkedIn is key to your job search today. Not as a job board but as a visual tool for your network that will help you see who is connected to people who work for your dream company.

Avoiding networking or informational interviewing

Solitary job search doesn’t work. In our virtual world, you can still reach out to anyone in the world. Did you hear that?

Networking isn’t confined to in-person meetings. A phone call or Zoom call works just as well. Informational interviewing will change your job search momentum.

Where can I learn effective job search strategies?

Funny you asked. This blog post or article is one of 1200+ articles on the Design Resumes website I wrote.

I teach job seekers every day in best practices and I work hard to learn those best practices from other career industry leaders that I have cultivated as advisors and friends. If you would like to work with me, learn more here.