Wondering why it’s been hard for you to find a job? Watch this 2-minute video or read the short article below the video…
TODAY’S QUESTION:
“Dear Pete: I just graduated from college and have found it really difficult to get hired even though I have a really strong resume and solid internship experience. Why is it hard to find a job?”
ANSWER:
There could be a few reasons why it has been hard for you to find a job. However, the most likely explanation is that you are probably spending too much time applying to advertised jobs and not enough time actually speaking to people who work for your ideal employers/field/industry.
When a job is advertised to the public, you are not the only person who can see or apply for the “opening”. For example, I spoke to a senior hiring person from a Fortune 500 company recently, and he told me that his company received over 12,000 applications for 1 position last year!
It’s pretty hard to stand out if you are in a stack of hundreds or thousands of resumes, which is often the case with top employers, especially in a tough economy.
If you have ever attended one of my webinars or presentations, you have probably heard me say this before, and it’s worth repeating: if you want to get your dream job, you need to stop looking for jobs and start looking for people.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that over 70% of jobs are filled through personal contacts and networking. Less than 10% of all jobs are filled through online job boards. There’s a very logical reason why this happens.
Pretend you are an employer for a second. Would you rather hire someone you found on Craig’s List or someone that was referred to you by a person you trust and respect? It’s a no-brainer. Employers only advertise jobs to the public as a desperate, last-ditch effort if they have been unable to find someone through their existing network. As a result, most jobs are filled behind-the-scenes, and most advertised jobs feature intense competition.
Do whatever it takes to get yourself in front of people who have the power to hire you or people who can refer you to other individuals with the power to hire you. When you spend the bulk of your job search on networking with people from your ideal employers/field/industry, you will get hired much faster than the typical job-seeker who only applies for jobs being advertised to the masses.
Until next time, remmeber you just need 1 break to get your dream job, and it’s closer than you think!
P.S. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Please “like” and “share” this article and video as well.