The Four Reasons You Are NOT Getting the Job You Really Want in 2018

I am not sure why so many people are unhappy in their jobs. One culprit; life gets in the way. This causes people to work jobs, not for job satisfaction but to support their families. "Family first" is a good thing on the surface, but over time it never works out. If you fall into this category, the good news is that hiring is the best it has been in over ten years. However, even with essential jobs open and waiting for you to apply, many will not make a move because quite frankly, it is hard to do. Life responsibilities get in the way. 

Today, I want you to really understand that you never had a better opportunity to not only find a job that is a great fit but increases your yearly income. Isn’t that what we all want?

The reason you are not getting the job you want is that you may not understand how the job search process typically works in 2018. You search job boards, find a great job with a great company then apply. For many, this is where it ends and when you don't hear back from the company, you write it off to the famous "black hole." What if you could change this and get an interview? That is all most need. But most people accept the fact that employers make the decision on who gets hired and you have no say in that. This is where you are making your big mistake. You do have a say in this. You are not talking their language when applying. Your digital presence (resume) is not optimized to showcase what you can bring to this employer. It is a significant reason many fail in their job search.

Here are four things you are doing wrong in your job search:

1. Not standing out in the application process.
   You know the dirty little secret with employers is that they really can be lazy during the recruiting process. What this means is that if they get 100 resumes for their opening, they will select the resumes that are "low hanging fruit." In other words, resumes that read exactly like the job posting. When applying to a great job, you need a great resume, and if you can't simulate the skills required from the job posting, you shouldn't be applying in the first place. For entry level and new college grads, your resume has to be keyword centered to the industry you want to be, so it is clear to the employer that you are interested in their business and are trainable.

2. Applying then sitting back and waiting.
   If you read a job description and say, "that job fits me perfectly," you should get excited. Once you apply, go after it. For smaller companies, it can be easy to connect to the hiring manger via LinkedIn or Twitter. For Facebook, look to see if the company has a career page. Leave a comment here but never seek out a hiring manager's personal Facebook account.

3. Applying to jobs that you can’t get.
   When I post a job with well-written job descriptions, over 50% of the applications DO NOT have the skills needed; not even close. When I ask job seekers why they applied, they indicate that they feel they can do the job or it's a company they really want to work for so they figure this is the way to get noticed for another job in a different department. This never works. Spend 90% of your time researching companies with jobs you can qualify for.

4. No job search plan or organization.
   Many of you go to a couple job boards and apply to as many positions as you can in a few hours and sit back and wait. For those with very specialized skills (nurses, programmers, etc.), this will work well. However, for others, this will never work to get the job you really want. A well-done job search includes keeping a journal of every job you apply to, when you applied, and why you applied. When an employer calls you for an interview, you can refer to your journal to see your notes to avoid the number one sin; asking an employer, “what company are you calling about and what job.” 

Follow Roger Lear on Twitter @RogerLear1