The Struggles Of Online Job Hunting

job search

Job hunting can be challenging. There are often tens or hundreds of people applying for the same position at the same time. Competition is at an all-time high nowadays.

Job seekers often have to look outside the box to find a rewarding career. Many companies post their own openings, both internally and externally. They may also outsource that responsibility to other companies.

There are a lot of placement services and temporary hiring agencies that can help people match their skills to jobs. A simple search can bring up dozens of current openings at https://www.keepmeposted.com.mt/ and other sites. Many of these companies will have you set up an account and download a resume and cover letter. Others may have optional skill tests that can help you determine possible career paths.

Here are a few common struggles that online job hunters face:

Vague job descriptions

One complaint that many online job seekers have tried to interpret the skills and qualifications that are needed for jobs based on job descriptions that lack key information. Some listings are too short, while others are too long. Some of them omit important details such as computer program knowledge or the number of years of experience in the industry that the employer is looking for from qualified candidates. Other job descriptions may be missing details such as benefits, starting salary or even where their office is located.

Too many listings

Another concern is having too many job openings to pore through. This can sometimes be a benefit to job seekers, because they have the luxury of picking and choosing the opportunities that they’re most interested. For the casual job seeker, it can sometimes be information overload. They may not know where to start, and can feel like they’ve missed out on the right position for them because there were just too many to choose from.

A lack of information

Some job listings are short and sweet. They briefly describe the job, list the hourly starting wage, and where the job is located. However, they often forget to include other relevant information. Most of this information is about the company itself.

Some questions that job seekers frequently ask are:

  • What does the company do?
  • When was the company founded?
  • How long has this position been around?
  • What are some of the advantages/disadvantages of this job?
  • What is the corporate culture like?
  • Are there possibilities for advancement?

All of this and more is usually noticeably absent from such job listings. The company may have a good website, but many frequently forget to include this information on their site as well, even if they also post these job postings on their site. While it’s best not to be too wordy, providing as much information as possible can present the company in a positive light and avoid any vagueness or uncertainty.

Lengthy interviewing and hiring processes

Once a candidate submits their resume and cover letter, it can be a week or more sometimes they receive a response. Some companies will also ask applicants to fill out a lengthy application, submit examples of their previous work or take a personality test. From there, they may be asked to interview via telephone, video conference or in person another week or two later. If all goes well, they may be asked back for a second interview another week or two later. The hiring decision can come another few weeks after that. This is a long time for a job seeker to be committed to the interview process just for one job. They could miss out on their potential dream job. Things are only made worse when the company fails to respond to the job seeker after a sufficient period of time.

Lack of follow-up

Job seekers often get discouraged when they don’t hear back from an employer after they’ve gone through the interview process. It’s also discouraging when they receive no response after submitting their application and resume. Every applicant should receive some sort of reply, even if it’s a short email telling them that they were not selected for the job or the interview process. Unfortunately, many companies weed through the applications that were submitted and only choose to respond to the candidates that they decide to interview. The rest is largely forgotten.

Searching for the right job online can be very frustrating for these and other reasons. Here are a few quick tips to keep job seekers motivated:

Follow up

If you don’t hear from a potential employer after you submitted an application or after an interview, be proactive. Call or send an email politely asking if they’ve received your resume or if they’ve made a decision. After you’ve finished your interview, follow up by sending a thank you card or email to let them know that you’re still interested in the job opening. Be persistent, but don’t pester.

Keep on applying

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Job seekers encounter a lot of rejection. Most of it has nothing to do with them. They were just not fortunate enough to be selected, or the employer didn’t feel like they had the right chemistry, experience or skills for the job. Just because you were rejected for one job doesn’t mean that you won’t find the right job for you. Keep on applying to as many jobs as you want that meet your needs and interests. Don’t give up on the possibility of landing that dream job!

Stay positive

After you’ve received several rejections in a row, it’s very easy to feel depressed. You may start to doubt yourself or wonder if you’ll ever find a job. Don’t let setbacks dampen your spirits. It might be time to take another look at your resume. See if there are skills that you should highlight or include for different job openings. Emphasize your strengths. Your resume should be tailored for each job that you apply for. It shouldn’t be generic. Also, take some time to reflect on your skills and abilities. There are lots of things that you’re great at. There will be an employer that sees your strengths and will want to hire you. Stay positive, believe in yourself and don’t give up.

Job seeking is never easy. There are a lot of hurdles to go through, and a lot of patience is often required when you’re playing the waiting game. It’s not fun, but is very necessary to find a career you enjoy. Once you’ve landed that dream job, you can work on turning your aspirations into reality.

 

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