Don’t let your job search drive you crazy

Someone once said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Is that why your job search is driving you crazy? Are you applying for hundreds of jobs and getting nowhere?...

 Well, maybe there’s a reason; let’s take a look at some possible reasons why you might not be getting the job.

Would you email your grandmother from that address? Your racy email might be funny to your friends and your clever wordsmithing might even land you your perfect lady-love, but I promise you it won’t rope you any kind of gainful employment. Stick with something simple.

The only thing before the@ should be some combination of your first and last name and maybe some numbers if needed. Is it boring? Yes. Will it keep you from getting hired? No.

Imagine how hard it would be to grocery shop if everything came in the same plain white box. You wouldn’t know if you were buying grapes, Grape Nuts or ground beef. Although it could make for an interesting breakfast experience, you don’t want any surprises when you’re making the most important meal of the day.

Employers get hundreds of applications, you need to let them know what they’ll be getting if they bring you in for an interview. So do your best to make your packaging look as awesome as possible. That means letting them know exactly what you’re made of: your profile needs to include your experience, skills and education. Even if you’ve never worked before, be sure to put something here, like volunteer experience.

Your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the number and call again. This is quite possibly one of the most annoying things to hear in the history of prerecorded messages. And if a hiring manager  hears it when he tries to call you, he’ll write off your application completely. Talk about missed connections.

There is something to be said for being selective in your job search. Surely you don’t want to apply for a position as a lawyer if you’ve never been to law school. That doesn’t mean you can’t keep things interesting. Spice things up by broadening your horizons. Maybe you’re thinking about jobs as a cashier (good choice!). Don’t just apply for retail  cashier jobs; that’s limiting yourself. You could be a cashier at a restaurant, or even get into customer service.

There is a fine line between helping and hurting, and your mom calling to check on the status of your application is definitely hurting. We don’t recommend checking on your application over the phone anyway, but having your mom (or spouse, or friend) do it is way worse. More than anything, it just makes it look like you don’t care enough about the job to check for yourself. It also gives the impression that your mom is all up in your beeswax, which isn’t a good thing.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it just isn’t going to happen. The position might already be filled, or you might not be the right person for the job. Whatever the reason, it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s okay, because there are lots of other jobs out there. Jobs that you would be perfect for! So what are you waiting for? Start your job search today.