What’s the Hardest Part of Job Searching? Take Our Poll

Job Seeking and Career Advice PollFinding a job has its challenges. Recent college graduates have had a few months to experience what it’s like to look for a job, and those experiencing long-term unemployment know all too well how hard the job search can be.

With a rough economy impacting job seekers, especially teenagers and younger generations, we want to know what you find most difficult about the job search. If you have a challenge that isn’t listed in the poll, leave a comment below.

 

Comments

  1. Michele Vics

    Not knowing what’s in store and not seeing any light in the tunnel. Having to compete with 100’s of other candidates without the wherewithal to do so, much less follow up.

    1. Post
      Author
      Jared Cole

      Thanks for sharing, Michele. It can be very discouraging and scary during the job search at times. I sometimes felt that way too when I was looking for work. While it’s different among job seekers, don’t give up on your dreams, and rely on your network to support you and help you become a stronger job candidate.

      Keep me updated on your search, Michele!

  2. Glenn

    I’ve been out of the work field a little over a year now, I’m over the age of 40 with little experience. How do I get back in the work field at such an older age?

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      Author
      Jared Cole

      Hey Glenn,

      I recently wrote an article about overcoming age discrimination during your job search. I hope it can help. As for lacking experience, I’d recommend highlighting your soft skills Even if you don’t have much work experience, I’m sure having more than 40 years of life experience can help you market yourself to potential employers. If you want ways of gaining experience, try volunteering, shadowing, or temporary work.

      Let me know how your search turns out, Glenn!

  3. Steve Brettin

    Most positions today are requiring online submission of cover letters and resumes. How does one get past the “electronic” gate keepers at such employers? It used to be that you could “back door” your way in to talk with someone in person by using personal connections and start selling yourself better than any electronic version of you could do.

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      Author
      Jared Cole

      I’d say it’s even easier than ever to get past those pesky applicant tracking systems than. Start by going to the employer’s website. There you can find the names and sometimes contact information of decision makers in your field. Once you have that, they probably have LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook accounts you could use to get an idea of what the person is like and find common interests. Then it’s a matter of contacting or setting up an informative interview with the person. If it’s not that easy, there are several other methods of research you could do to meet the right person.

      Great question, Steve! Let me know how it turns out!

    1. Post
      Author
      Jared Cole

      James, cover letters can be tricky. There’s a whole category dedicated to resumes and cover letters The important thing to remember is to customize it to the job you’re applying for, list some career accomplishments that would apply to the wanted job that’s not listed in the resume, and make it personal to show your enthusiasm for the job. As a last-ditch effort, you could contact a staffing agency like Express, and they could help you review and build a cover letter for little to no charge.

      Let me know how things work out, James!

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