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why is it so hard to find a job?

#job #career

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Ken’s Answer

It really does not have to be so difficult, as 80% of people find jobs through interpersonal (face to face) networking.


The most important things for you to do are to get to know yourself well enough to determine the appropriate career area for you based upon your personality traits and then meet and talk to people who are doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can see what they do, how they got there, and what advice and suggestions that they might have for you.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
Here are some tips on how to carry on a successful job hunt:Job Hunting Tips: https://www.themuse.com/advice/lessons-learned-career-coach-job-searching?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20180202&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20180202&bsft_eid=cd4ef5e1-6246-4e74-957a-ca94ba0a6241&bsft_clkid=84dfbdf1-6fc1-4531-8f74-3b37e4538aef&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=4cb6c9a8-3932-460f-ad22-e80afad9b8c6 Job Search Tips https://www.themuse.com/advice/6-job-search-tips-that-are-so-basic-people-forget-them?bsft_eid=d52278c6-e9fa-4084-bf99-238600f30439&bsft_pid=f11ef5e8-7432-4713-9c56-f8c387057fea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171013&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171013&bsft_clkid=088dd-aea-b7a7-431a-9ed4-81cbb4a9bf71&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=e1b9cb11-b25f-4859-82bf-14db88934d06&bsft_pp=1 Information Interviewing https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-ask-for-a-jobwithout-asking-for-a-job?bsft_eid=1031335a-60e8-481a-9075-bf57b79c2dc7&bsft_pid=6a015767-7654-4a34-a41a-4d2d1154130e&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20170929&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20170929&bsft_clkid=d3c74cb4-86e9-4f1d-aa80-d46849aeefd7&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=715eb508-8fa0-476f-9193-4d3c143abd3f&bsft_pp=3
Thank you comment icon Why am I not hearing about my applications https://www.themuse.com/advice/why-arent-i-hearing-back-about-jobs-im-applying-for?bsft_eid=ce69fe67-a25b-6f0f-46a7-3ca16b93938e&utm_campaign=daily_20180604_full_post_22746&utm_source=blueshift&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily_20180604_full_post_22746&bsft_clkid=d7ab3c79-d530-4bc5-b220-c198c70827ca&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=e099f609-6470-4917-8466-da23de939177 Ken Simmons
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Jane’s Answer

Not everyone is good at interpersonal (face to face) communication. Some of us aren't very good at it because our family background didn't provide much in that area. But , it is an important work place skill and especially useful in getting a job. Spend some time working on it every day.

Best wishes!
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much. Nancy
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Nicole’s Answer

Hi Nancy O. I see that you posted this question a little while ago so I hope my answer to you (or others who may read this response) is still helpful.

As I write my response to you in the year 2021, the world is still battling a global pandemic. I share this context because there are times when difficulty in finding a job has less to do with the person looking for a job and more to do with the circumstances of "the market". In this case, "the market" would mean the people and businesses that thrive during a strong economy. As you might imagine, if there isn't a space for people to go out and do things, the chances for a strong economy are lower...and when the economy isn't strong (and/or when a large number of people are uncomfortable going out to work or out to school), then the likelihood of advertising or getting jobs is lower.

Certainly, the individual who is looking for a job should continue to take the necessary steps to make themselves appealing to employers. Having the right credentials (your certifications, degrees, job experience, awards, positive recommendations from others) plays a huge role in getting a job. Sharing though, that even when the individual has all of those things, if there isn't a healthy job market, that can play a role in making it difficult to find satisfying employment.

I hope you find this answer helpful and best of luck to you!
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