Opinions as to why people stay unemployed are sometimes based on judgmental stereotypes of lazy grifters, but the realities of unemployment are much different. A study published by Yale University researchers in 2020 showed no evidence to support the contention that enhanced unemployment benefits are a disincentive to working even when unemployment compensation exceeds job earnings. While there may be a few lazy individuals who would rather sit around and do nothing, most people crave meaningful work that offers a decent wage.
Unemployed people struggle to pay the bills and worry about feeding their families. Some hard-working Americans end up living in a van with their children due to circumstances outside their control.
Structural barriers to employment include a lack of jobs in a depressed area, a mismatch between employers’ needs and workforce skills, and discriminatory hiring practices. Personal reasons for being unemployed include limiting disabilities, lack of education and training, childcare costs, and lack of transportation. A list of reasons for being unemployed can be divided into five broad categories.
Here are 5 reasons why real good professionals don’t get hired not getting hired:
Job Application Lacks Quality
Trust me, the poor quality of someone’s resume is one of the most common reasons s/he is not receiving interview calls. Our application is the face a hiring manager has of us and is the first step to getting an interview call. If your resume doesn’t highlight our abilities well, is missing a sense of uniqueness, or lacks keywords, we may not be chosen to move on in the hiring process.
Let’s enhance our resume with an interesting introduction to get the hiring manager’s attention. Don’t forget to mention on all previous successes and accomplishments, and tailor the resume to each successful journey. Even if two jobs are very similar, pick out the desired keywords and skills. Compare these to the skills we already possess and include the ones we have in our resume to help us stand out from other applicants.
Passive Search
Having a proactive personality is directly correlated with career success. If someone is applying to jobs without following up or simply applying to too few jobs, s/he is missing a key piece of the job search. We must work on strengthening our proactive approach to job search by applying to more jobs with high frequency, actively pursuing any possible leads by reaching out after interviews, and strategizing our search.
Strategies include knowing what type of job we’re looking for and what areas we’re willing to adjust, such as salary, benefits, location, and duties. It also entails knowing our strengths and weaknesses and being real about the same and setting time aside daily to search and apply and refining your resume.
Undervaluing Talent
Job search is one of the most important periods to show confidence and pride in our skills, knowledge, and education without exaggerating anything. If we don’t demonstrate our greatest strengths and accomplishments, we may be overlooked for a role we are otherwise well-suited for.
Let’s learn to Improve our ability to market ourselves by first understanding what our greatest strengths and accomplishments are and how they relate to the job we’re applying to. Then, carefully choose the traits and achievements that show the value we bring to an organization and mention those in our resume and cover letter. Echo these in the interview cycle with a balance of pride and humility.
Little or No Research
Another area that may affect candidates’ abilities to find jobs is forgoing research on the company and role. Many employers ask questions during an interview to test a candidate’s knowledge of the company and the job. They want to know if a potential employee has taken the time to know about the organization and shows a true interest in working there.
To help fix this, spend some time researching the company online and learning the following basic information:
- Who owns the organization
- What comprises the board of directors
- Who are the top management team members
- What are the company’s vision, mission and values
- What company culture is like
- What the role entails
Candidates’ keen interest and attention to detail will help employers to make right decisions.
Lack of Passion
Employers can sense if excitement for a position isn’t there. Skills can be taught, but employers’ attitudes and desire to see passion and enthusiasm when considering applicants. As Herb Kelleher once said: “Hire for Attitude and Train for Skills”.
Let’s convey how excited we are as a candidate for a position during the entire interview cycle. While applying for the job, we must read through the description and research the company thoroughly. Make a list of all the details that make us eager to work for that company and be sure to explain why that very company is our dream company to work for and how we can be beneficial to the organization in the long run.
Final Word
An inevitable aspect of the job search is not getting the job we hoped for. It’s not always clear why we weren’t able to secure a position we felt fit our experience and skills perfectly. Knowing the reasons why we weren’t hired will help us better prepare for future searches and obtain an exceptional position.
Precisely, the process of job hunting is tough. It’s not only hard on our wallet, it’s equally hard on our self-esteem. When we’ve sent out dozens of CVs and landed multiple interviews, all without success, it’s hard not to get discouraged. Just focus on some of the above pointers and think about these carefully with patience.
