Okay, I’ve been unemployed long enough! How come nobody wants me?
How frustrating this is for someone who has a great work history, is motivated to work, and still can’t find something. What could be going wrong? Here is a Top 10 list to possibly explain things:
10. The worldwide economy remains in a recession, therefore companies are moving cautiously, which means they are afraid to expand as this puts them in further jeopardy so they are not in hiring modes.
9. The unemployment rate in Canada is supposed to hit an all-time high for 2014. Again, companies respond to this with extreme caution.
8. Competition is fierce. There are more bodies than good paying jobs. Employers can set the highest of expectations and demand all criteria are met (i.e. An Admin professional with 10-15 years of experience, completes payroll activities, can do Excel, PowerPoint and everything else, and offer a wage of $12/hour).
7. The economy has been hit hard regarding industries such as manufacturing. People are relying on taking retail positions with big box stores, which offer part-time employment at minimum or slightly higher wages.
6. We cannot have the “rose coloured glasses” and talk about the good old days when companies fought over employees. The way in which we job search today is drastically different than how we searched 10 years ago. Like it or not, gone are the days when you can drop off a resume to the employer. Now they have a “process” which usually includes an impersonal online application.
5. You are relying solely on advertised postings, which truly only account for 20% of the available jobs. And it’s the same 20% that everyone else is looking at!
4. We have to become familiar with and use social media more – Linkedin.com, Twitter, Facebook – because more and more employers are hiring this way.
3. You could be going after the wrong jobs – ones that you are overqualified for, which can intimidate employers. They look at overqualified candidates as high risks to leave when they get a more ideal position. So, the employer does not get a return on his/her investment to hire and train you.
2. Your resume could not be properly reflecting your abilities and value to the potential employer. Resumes are tough. Ask yourself if it’s working for you. If it’s not, change it!
1. Are you truly doing EVERYTHING in your power to get a job? Networking, making EVERYONE you know aware that you are looking for a job, attending job fair.
by Caroline Smaglinskie, Guest Blogger for Agilec
