To search for job is one of the most stressful activities in a person's life. It's especially difficult if what you're looking for requires certain levels of experience or you don't meet all the qualifications.
If you’ve sent out hundreds of applications, attended dozens of interviews, and still haven’t been successful (or worse, haven’t gotten interviews), it may not be that the job market is “tight right now.” You want a good job, and blaming your situation won’t do anything to help you get that job.
If that’s you, then it’s time to take a look at what you’re doing wrong. Here are 8 reasons why you’re not getting hired in the construction, engineering, and environmental industries.
1 – You are not on the network
There’s a saying that your network is your net worth. This is as true today as it ever was. While the advent of the Internet has made it much easier to find new opportunities, it’s still not possible to avoid human interaction.
Go to networking events and talk to people who work at the company you want to work for. Building relationships with people who have access to what you want can never hurt you.
Networking events have incredible value associated with them because of the connections that can be made. Don’t stop at just talking to people who work at your dream company.
Talk to everyone you meet. It never hurts to become a master at interacting with others, and you may find even better opportunities than you initially imagined.
2 – You don’t know how to sell yourself
Many people apply a negative connotation to selling. They consider selling to be greedy and untrustworthy. This is false because everyone is selling something all the time. Whether you’re in an interview, going on a date, or trying to negotiate a raise, you’re selling to the other person why you should get what you want.
You need to be clear and confident in what you convey, both on your resume and in the interview. Employers want to know that you truly have the skills and knowledge needed to advance their current business and projects.
3 – Your resume doesn’t portray measurable accomplishments
This may be something you’ve heard before. When employers are deciding who to hire for their team, they’re impressed by proof of your ability. That proof comes in the form of specific, measurable results you’ve achieved.
It’s not enough to say that you “helped an organization increase sales or complete a project.” You need to use analytics and numbers when talking about what you’ve accomplished. Saying that you “increased sales by $381,000 every quarter” is not only more believable, but it also sets you apart to the hiring manager as someone who is likely to bring them success.
4 – You simply have no interest in the job
I get it. You'd rather work somewhere else doing something different, so you're not excited about going for anything less. That's dangerous because employers might sense a lack of interest.
It’s hard to fake enthusiasm about something you don’t care about. If you don’t think you’ll like the role or the company, don’t apply. It will save them and you the time of interviewing and showing disinterest.
5 – You didn’t do your homework
One of the most common interview questions is why you want to work for the company. Especially if you’re taking on a sales-related role, they want to see you doing the job before you even start.
Research the company as if it were a potential customer you were trying to sell to. Then, when the time comes to answer that question, you can confidently answer with what you’ve learned about the company and why it impresses you. You can also confidently answer how you will add value to the company.
6 – You don’t have the qualifications
This one is hard to get around. Sometimes it’s hard to have the necessary qualifications that employers are asking for. Remember, they want you to know how to do the job in question, do it well, or be able to learn it quickly.
There are ways around this. Let's say you're applying for a job in sales. They want you to have 3 years of experience, but you only have 1 year of experience.
You can explain to them the measurable results you have achieved working on the company's projects. If you have worked for yourself, you can show them the results you have achieved there and that sets you apart as an entrepreneur.
7 – You don’t seem so confident
Interviews are challenging for anyone who doesn't have the best personal conversation skills.
You're probably as communicative as you can be when you're around people you've known for a while. You might even be confident at an event surrounded by people you don't know.
In the interview room, that doesn’t matter. It all comes down to them wanting to hire someone who will deliver results. If you walk in there with sweaty palms, weak knees, and heavy arms, you know what you need to work on next time to get the job.
The key here is practice. The best possible practice is the situation you are practicing for, so having several interviews would make you comfortable doing interviews.
If you are unable to do this, you can simply practice in front of a mirror or with a friend. However, do not write down the answers and try to memorize them.
This will make you dependent on those specific questions. If they ask you different questions, you will feel nervous because you didn't prepare for them. Just practice and get used to the feeling of being interviewed.
8 – You seem entitled
There is a fine line between being confident and being arrogant. You need to show the employer that you are capable of doing the job, but don't act like you are entitled to the job.
These are some things to think about if you’re having trouble getting the job you want. Now that you have an idea of the mistakes you might be making, learn from them. It’s up to you to change your situation.
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