Searching for a job can feel overwhelming, discouraging, and downright depressing. I’ve heard it all from job seekers.
If you feel you are the only one having trouble looking for work, don’t. You are not alone.
The job market is unpredictable, frustrating, and confusing.
It’s very easy to feel stuck when job applications go unanswered, you get ghosted by recruiters, and multiple interview rounds don’t lead to offers.
Instead of getting discouraged, I always encourage job seekers to refocus on what you can control.
There are steps you can take to improve your chances of getting a job offer or just working on yourself. This could be improving your resume, expanding your network, and learning new skills.
What’s your Resume look like?
Most of the time when I talk with job seekers they often are using an old resume with a few tweaks.
If are on the job search and don’t have a job, now is the time to make major updates to that resume.
First step is to analyze and see what jobs are currently being advertised in your industry. Then figure out how you can best tailor your resume to fit the needs of employers currently hiring.
Figure out what keywords from the job descriptions are most ideal and highlight your accomplishments.
Action verbs such as “achieved,” “optimized,” or “collaborated” are good to highlight what you have done in your career or projects you have worked on. Avoid overloading your resume with irrelevant details.
Yes it’s cool you worked at McDonald’s as a teenager but didn’t we all have fast food or retail jobs at one point?
I’m not going to recommend that you do a different resume for each job application. Who has time for that? It is a good idea to have different resumes for different purposes though.
For example, I have a lot of experience in Digital Marketing and doing Event Marketing. Not all employers are looking for both, some are just looking for one or the other. So I have 2 resumes for that focus on Digital or Events marketing.
Make sure to have a friend or colleague proof read your resume. I am not the best with grammar so this is something I do as well.
Also make the resume Applicant Tracking System (ATS) friendly.
ATS are software that recruiters and human resources use to track candidates and stay complaint with hiring. If you don’t make a resume ATS friendly it won’t get through the software filtering to an actual human.
To make a resume ATS friendly keep it with black and white and use simple formatting. Do not use images or any special symbols as that can confuse the software.
The number one resume advice I can give, what does the story say about you?
That means that your resume should clearly tell the story of your career in a clear and concise way. If you confuse a recruiter or hiring manger, you lose.
Are you Networking?
This probably sounds cliche and annoying, but networking is the key to finding a decent job. It’s also often overlooked by job seekers as they are stressed, frustrated, and exasperated.
Recruiters actually have a saying, “Your network is your networth.”
This is true as we often here at GreenJobs.com of people getting jobs from a friend, referral, significant other, neighbor, dog, alien, smoke signal, etc.
Connecting with professionals in your field, and outside of it, will help you in several ways.
Let people know you are searching for a job. You really never know.
Once I got a job working in Shipping & Logistics because my friend’s boyfriend had a family in the business. Did I know anything about Shipping & Logistics? Hell no.
I did however know my friend Sage for years and she vouched for me. That made her boyfriend comfortable enough to make an introduction to his brother and I worked for him for a period of time.
Would I have gotten this job if I applied directly with my resume? I am doubtful my resume would have even made it past the ATS.
I did have Sales & Marketing skills the family business needed at the time though. While the job only last a summer, it was a learning experience.
Creating content on LinkedIn, launching a podcast, or writing about topics in you relevant given industry can be a great way to engage. It will also establish yourself as a thought leader. This expands your network and audience and can lead to consulting gigs or even a good sidehustle. This looks great to potential employers as well.
Joining associations and groups in your industry can also expand your circle. You can gain insights from other pros in your industry.
You know about Part-Time Jobs and Gig Work?
Part-time jobs or gig work can can provide some income while you still look for a full-time professional job.
If you have specialized skills you can try consulting and freelancing on platforms like like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr.
While few get rich on these sites it does allow you to keep relevant professional skills fresh.
The gig economy also offers flexible work for those between jobs. This includes doing driving for Uber or Lyft doing rideshares.
You can also deliver food and do grocery runs through services such as GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEats.
These types of jobs make a small amount of money. The more important factor though is it keeps your mind active and you feel like you are doing something useful.
The worst is to let yourself get “stuck” in the job search process.
Have you considered Volunteering?
Volunteering is another great way to keep yourself active.
While the work is unpaid it can be great for personally. Helping others without expanding anything monetary in return can make you feel like you are making an impact.
It also expands your local network and you can make new friends with shared values.
The organization that you are volunteering gives you connections for personal and professional references. For people just starting out in their career, I often recommend they make it
You can also put this down as a something you were doing to make sure you don’t have a resume gap. I’ve heard firsthand from many recruiters and hiring managers they don’t like when candidates have a long-term unemployment gaps.
It’s always easier to get a job when you have a job.
There are many ways to volunteer. You can do community volunteering for an animal shelter, soup kitchen, community center, etc.
These are what usually comes to mind for most people through a service such as VolunteerMatch.
You can also consider doing skills based volunteering with professional associations. Often these associations are there for the benefit of professionals and don’t make that much money. They are run as non-profits with limited budgets.
Offering your time to an association establishes you as someone to get to know in the industry. That’s great networking, which we discussed above.
You can also straight up offer your services pro-bono though a service like Catchafire. They match up a professionals with in-demand skills to non-profits that need help with projects.
Upskill and Reskill
Now is the time to expand your skill set. This can be upskilling, reskilling, and getting certifications and or licenses.
This will open new opportunities, boosts your marketability, and will make you feel better for accomplishing something. Employers value candidates who invest in continuous learning and demonstrate adaptability.
They even like it when those skills aren’t applicable to what the company does.
As an example when I got laid-off of I had time to finally study and get my Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certification. While this isn’t applicable to most companies, it has made me standout when I’ve gone on interviews.
It shows initiative and drive, something that employers look for.
Enrolling in online classes or earning certifications shows you are willing to keep learning.
There are so many online learning platforms these days which includes Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learnin, Skillshare, Udacity, Pluralsight, etc.
If you always wanted to get a certain certification or license, but didn’t have time, now is the time do it.
Perhaps you have wanted to explore getting into IT and Cybersecurity. Study up for CompTIA and Networking certifications then.
While getting a certification or license is great, you could also focus on learning a skill you have always wanted to. Perhaps coding a game in Python or learning or learning to play the piano.
Local community colleges are also great places to do a career transition or gain new skills for personal development. The advantage to community colleges is you get face-to-face time with other people in the community. Useful for finding a new job potentially or just making new friends.
Stay Positive and Motivated
Maintaining a positive mindset during a job search is super important.
I’ve been in your shoes and it can be a bad loop of being frustration, anger, and these feelings repeating themselves. Employers don’t want to hire Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer.
Practicing self care during your job search is not only critical, it is the only way to keep yourself sane.
Make sure you are keeping yourself mentally clear and physically active. Actually with more free time getting fit and eating right should be easier.
To reduce stress I recommend limiting screen time and taking breaks when applying, searching, and interviewing for a job. The job search is mentally draining and is destructive to emotional and spiritually to people.
Celebrate small wins like getting invited to 2nd round interview or learning Stairway to Heaven on the piano.
I Can’t Find a Job!
The job search process is often overwhelming.
I encourage you to focus on what you can control. That is your resume, networking, mental and emotional health and new skills.
Stay persistent, remain positive, and trust that your efforts will pay off.
