During a networking meeting for job seekers, we talked about their biggest frustrations with job search. They listed things like, “not hearing back from employers”, “not being considered perfectly qualified for a job”, “no names listed on job postings”. There were other things too, however, all of these frustrations have a work-around. They aren’t show-stoppers.
According to Newton:
To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.
Change Your Expectations
If you don’t expect to hear back from an employer, you won’t be disappointed or frustrated. If you want an answer, how can you get one?
Find A Contact Name
You can and should find a contact in the company who can cautiously scout out where they are in the process. Hopefully you have already found someone who inside to be a form of “advocate” for your resume. Are you using LinkedIn?
Have you asked everyone in your immediate network who they know at that company?
Contact HR
You could contact the HR Department and ask them where they are in the process and briefly introduce yourself as an interested applicant and why you would make a difference to their company.
Are Your Qualifications, Traits and Personality Coming Through?
If you aren’t the perfect fit then perhaps you haven’t done a good job explaining yourself.
Hiring is a very complex process, it isn’t just about having the right skills. It is about being the right “fit” in the organization.
Sure, sometimes you won’t have everything they are looking for, but if the interviewer (and others in the organization) like you and you are otherwise a good “fit” they could hire you, really! “Fit” can mean many things, as I’ve just said. Sometimes organizations have certain educational requirements.
Those will be difficult and sometimes impossible to overcome, especially right now, but it has been done and can be done so don’t let it deter you from applying or pursuing an opportunity.
Instead of getting stuck, find the work-around. You’ll feel so much better!
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
