Diagnosing Problems in Your Job Search Strategy

Wondering why things aren’t going better for you in your search? It could be that by identifying one or two weak spots in your job search strategy, you could greatly improve your job search results. The following assessment will allow you to quickly and successfully make better progress in your job search results.

Diagnose Your Job Search Difficulty

Take this quick job search assessment to determine potential problem areas that may be getting in the way of making better progress. Answer “yes” or “no” the statements below:

1. I have clearly defined the type(s) of job positions that I am aiming for.
2. I have identified 2 or more industries that are a good fit for my job search specialty.
3. I have researched 25+ companies within my target industries which could be potential job search employers for me.
4. I have an effective system for organizing job search data about companies and contacts, so that I can easily record my activities and locate information when necessary.
5. I regularly review job search posting sources (company web pages, LinkedIn, online job sites) to uncover new openings.
6. When I respond to a job search ad, I tailor my resume and cover letter to match the priorities of the position.
7. I follow up after I have applied to advertised job search openings, to make sure my materials were received, and to discover what will happen next.
8. On average, I get called to interview for at least 10% of the positions to which I apply to in my job search.
9. When I uncover a job ad at a company that is good fit for me, I research other similar businesses, and send them information about me also as part of my job search strategy.
10. I send a resume and letter of introduction to companies on my target list of potential employers—even if they have no open job search positions advertised.
11. I have a list of people within my circle that could be job search supporters for me, and I regularly connect with them about my job search goals, including through LinkedIn.
12. I have identified, and participate in, a few groups that are a fit for my personal and professional interests.
13. I am careful not to spend the majority of my time looking for and responding to online job search ads. Rather, my job search activities are fairly equally balanced between applying to advertised job search, contacting potential employers directly (even if no job openings exist), and connecting with others to expand my circle of supporters.
14. I am careful not to spend the majority of my time looking for and responding to online job search ads. Rather, my job search activities are fairly equally balanced between applying to advertised job search, contacting potential employers directly (even if no job openings exist), and connecting with others to expand my circle of supporters.

Analyze your job search effectiveness results.

If you answered “no” to any of these statements, then you know exactly where to focus your efforts to improve your job search results. And if you answered “no” to several of the statements, resist the temptation to label yourself a job-search failure. Keep in mind that 90% of job searchers don’t make use of effective job search strategies, so you’re in the majority! Yet you have an edge over those job searchers: You can actively seek out and implement ways to improve your job search results, by reading resources such as, “The Career Coward’s Guide to Job Searching”. So erase your feelings of failure, and instead tell yourself, “I’m learning how to be a more effective job searcher!”

Excerpted and adapted from “Career Coward’s Guide to Job Searching” by Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed.