Are you sick and tired of a ruthless job hunt? Looking for a job is no picnic, and if you’re getting a bit fed up, you’re definitely not alone. We’ve narrowed down the 5 worst things about job hunting - and put together some tips to make it a bit less painful.
Writing cover letters
One of the worst things about job hunting is surely having to write endless cover letters. It’s not so bad if you’re just applying to one or two jobs because you really like the look of them...but when you’re in full on job hunt mode, trying to apply to multiple jobs a day, writing cover letters feels like endlessly pushing a boulder up a hill Sisyphus-style. Writing just one cover letter can take up so much time when you have to research the company you’re applying at and figure out how to convince them that you’re perfect for each other.
It sounds counterintuitive, but you may actually be spending too much time trying to get your cover letter perfect. You might spend hours on it, squeezing in every bit of relevant (and sometimes not-so-relevant) information and ending up with a 2 or 3 page long letter, but the truth is when it’s that long a lot of hiring managers are only going to skim read it anyway.
You want the cover letter to be personalized and relevant to the role, but you also want to keep it concise. How do you balance these aims?
If most of the roles you are applying for have the same candidate requirements and responsibilities, it’s worth making a template with some key points that apply to many of these roles. This will give you an easy starting point when starting your cover letters. Pick out the most relevant points and tailor them more specifically to the role you are applying for in this instance. Flesh these points out with some examples to back them up.
Make sure to devote some space in the cover letter to information about why that specific role at that specific company appeals to you over others. This is where a bit of research on the company is essential. Show them that not only do you know your stuff, you care, too.
You can find more advice on writing a cover letter in 30 minutes here.
Getting ghosted by your interviewers
Sure, going on a date and then never hearing from the person you met up with is pretty rough, but it’s got nothing on getting ghosted by the company you interviewed with. You’ve put in all the work to get to know the company, make a connection with the interviewers, and you really felt a spark! “Look forward to hearing from you,” you said in your follow-up email, and you were so sure they’d write back and pop the question…would you like the job? And then, radio silence. Not so much as a “It’s not you, it’s me!” You are left hanging for days and weeks until you have no choice but to accept it: they picked someone else. It hurts!
If you’re keen to get some feedback, you can send another follow-up email to demonstrate that you’re still interested in the job and ask for some constructive criticism. Make sure to tailor this email to the timeline of the whole process - if you were told you would hear back within a week, wait a few days after the week is up and then send the email. This gives them time to be running late without waiting so long that you look unprofessional.
As tempting as it may be to get angry in the email and demand an explanation for why you haven’t heard back yet, avoid this at all costs! Keep your tone polite and friendly so that you make a good impression on the hiring manager. This way they will remember you in a good light and may put you forward for other roles that open up.
Ultimately, if you’ve given it time and sent your follow-up email and still haven’t heard anything, don’t take it personally. A 2013 survey found that 60% of candidates had experienced not hearing back after an interview, so it’s clearly not about you. Try to accept the situation and move on from it. There are other jobs out there, and you will find the right one for you!
Not getting good feedback
Sometimes, even when companies do actually let you know that they’ve found someone else for the job, all you get is a generic copy-and-paste email saying, ‘Sorry you’re not the right fit. Good luck though!’ It’s a step up from no response at all, but getting some feedback on why you weren’t the right fit would be nice, too.
So how do you deal with this? You could try emailing them again with a polite request for more detailed feedback to help you become a stronger candidate in the future. But sometimes, hiring managers just don’t have the time to give every candidate personalised feedback.
If this is the case, you can sit down and do your own self-evaluation. In fact, you can do this right after the interview, even if you do end up getting feedback later down the line. Ask yourself what went right and what went wrong. It can help to write it all down so you have it for future reference. Analyse the things that went wrong and come up with ways to avoid the same mistakes in future interviews. Think about the things you wish you’d said and make a note of them so that you remember to say them next time.
Filling out applications that ask for all the same information that’s on your CV
These are the worst kind of applications. You spend what feels like forever answering detailed questions all about your previous work experience, skills and education, only to get to the end and be asked to upload your CV anyway.
It’s insanely frustrating...but it might actually be a good thing. Some applicant tracking systems automatically turn your CV into a digital candidate profile that can easily be searched and filtered by employers or recruiters. However, not every CV will be transformed correctly, and entering all the information on your CV into an application will ensure that you stand a fair chance of being considered for the role rather than just slipping right through the cracks. Try to keep that in mind when forcing yourself through another regurgitation of your CV. It’s boring, but it’s not for no reason! Hopefully that will make the whole ordeal a little less mind-numbing.
Feeling like you can’t take a break
When you’re unemployed, looking for a job can often become a full-time job. But unlike a full-time job, there are no set hours. Rather than clocking out at 5pm on the dot, it’s easy to find yourself looking up from your computer screen and finding that it’s 9pm and you spent the entire day trawling through job listings and applying for jobs.
It can be hard to let yourself have time off without feeling like you really should be devoting this extra time to finding a job. But, as we discuss in this blogpost about staying motivated during a prolonged job hunt, taking breaks is essential to prevent yourself from burning out. If you’re going to treat your job hunt like a full-time job, that means clocking off for the evenings and having weekends off. This article has some tips for ways to take a break during a job hunt.
These things are surely the worst parts of job hunting - but they don’t have to be as soul-sucking as they first seem! Hopefully our tips will help make your job hunt a little more bearable, and keep an eye on Ruby Magpie’s social media pages where we regularly post new job listings.