Why we really hate applying for jobs

Applying for jobs can be a daunting task. Whatever the reason you may be seeking a new 9-5 it never really gets easier.

Here’s the thing…

I’m sure most people don’t actually hate applying for jobs, I don’t. I think it’s exciting, but the task is daunting. Sometimes it’s wise to take a break, whether its a week or a month because rejections or lack of feedback can get a person down. I have plenty of friends who have moved onto new jobs in recent months, and some that haven’t been as lucky. Sometimes I think it’s just luck, and sometimes that sucks, but if you don’t apply then you’ll never have a chance.

It takes forever

Okay – not literally forever but we dedicate so much time to applying and searching for jobs! Right? I remember when i was studying for my degree and one of my lecturers gave us a mini talk on looking for jobs when we finished our studying. She said that we should treat looking for a job like a job in itself, you need to dedicate time to it. That’s not to say you should be job hunting every day, but personally i think once or twice a week, maybe a lunch break here and there are good windows to search.

Awkward Questions

I was talking to a friend not long ago who was expressing her anger at the following question in a job application:

If you are related to a director, or have a relationship with a director or employee of an appointing organisation, please state the relationship:

Whaaaaaat?

I don’t really understand why that’s a question in a job application as to me (please comment below if i’m wrong?) but that just appears to be a long worded, reworded sentence for: if you know someone who works here it may or may not help you get the job so let us know who it is? I don’t agree with that sort of thing, is it fair?

A friend said to me last night she feels that half of the time applying for jobs is a numbers game, and mostly it’s just luck. Partly, i do agree with this, but it’s very easy to become disheartened when you don’t hear back from a job , especially if you really pinned your hopes on it.

We set our heart on the ‘dream job’

One thing to remember, is simple but true: don’t pin your hopes on one job, don’t let yourself fall madly in love with a job description – be realistic. I always think it’s best to hope for the best, but also expect to never hear back too. In most cases that’s what happens. It can be rare to receive a rejection email these days. So be prepared to spend hours completing online applications and maybe not hearing back from them again. Having said that, make sure you complete every application to a high standard and never skim on selling yourself to a potential employer!

Keeping our CV’s up to date is hard

I looked back through the files in my memory stick last night and the most recent entry I found was Amy’s CV June 2017. Wow i thought. I really think it’s worth taking a look at your CV, or asking a friend or professional service to do so every few weeks or month. Maybe the reason you haven’t been successful in a job or interview is because you’re not highlighting your greatest attributes?

 

Selling yourself

Okay so we’re not selling ourselves out – we’re selling how great we are, but it’s hard. How do you talk about how amazing you are without sounding stupid, repetitive or self absorbed?

The things we don’t think of

Do you always use spell check in your applications?

Do you always write a cover letter?

Do you chase up the application or contact the employer yourself for a discussion?

These are things we should be doing every time we apply for a new job, and even i’m guilty of forgetting these small but important things.

 

Good luck with your applications, interviews and so on, i’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!

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A few months ago i wrote a blog post with some advice and tips for Grads applying for their first post uni job, and here’s some info i’d like to add to that:

I’ve recently discovered a new job hunting website: giveagradago.com take a look, you might find something perfect for you.