Getting Unstuck: Troubleshooting your Job Search

Next Step Navigator is a career newsletter mixing real talk with real advice to help you tackle the job hunt and carve out your own unique path. It’s like grabbing a coffee with a mentor who shares stories and strategies to boost your confidence and guide you towards making strategic, meaningful career moves.

Continuing my impromptu series on job searching, mindset and strategically planning forward, let’s talk about what to do when you’re not seeing any progress in your job search.

Sometimes looking for a job can feel like being a hamster on an endless wheel.  Your days look the same: opening up the job boards, looking for postings, applying to a few and checking your inbox for interview invitations.

When your current strategy isn’t working, it’s time to stop and try something else.  But what is that something else?  Vague advice might be floating around your head like “hone your personal brand”, “network” or “do more research”, but what does any of that look like in practice and how can it help you get unstuck?

Start by assessing your current job search activities and look for the positive! There’s always something that’s going well.  Maybe you’re seeing a lot of postings that really interest you, or are feeling good about the skills you have to offer a new employer.  Take a minute and pat yourself on the back.

Once that’s done, it’s time to reflect - what is missing from your current strategy?

Here’s a quick guide to get you started:

• Under 20-25 applications sent? → send more applications

• Sending lots of applications but no response? → work on your resume/cover quality 

• Tons of ‘cold applying’ with a strong resume but no response? → switch to networking activities to learn about your target industry and build relationships

• Getting interviews but no offers? → get help with your interviewing skills

If your strategy isn’t working, try something else and seek feedback.

Let’s go into detail on a few strategies.

Revamp your resume

Your resume is a marketing document that tells an employer how you are qualified for a specific job.  It’s not a general overview of your experiences, or a place to list all your skills.  Ensure it's tailored, concise, error-free and has simple, readable formatting (i.e. skip the columns).  Highlight accomplishments instead of listing duties and skills without context. Consider the perspective of the hiring manager – does your resume clearly demonstrate that you can fulfill that specific job description?

Move beyond ‘cold’ applying

It might be worth it to stop applying online entirely for a period of time and shift to networking activities.  This is especially true if you’re an early career professional or shifting industries.

Building professional relationships is a super important part of your professional life and a crucial step in the job search.  Use LinkedIn to find folks working in roles or at companies you’re targeting and send out messages requesting coffee chats!  Pro tip:  if you invite them to connect on LinkedIn, use the ‘Add a Note’ function to avoid paying for InMail.

The goal here is to learn information to craft stronger job applications by aligning your skills and experience to the organization’s ethos, values, goals and needs of the position.  You’re also aiming to become a familiar name to folks within the company when they see your application pop up.  

Seek feedback

Here are some ways to seek feedback on your job search strategy:

• If you’re a student or recent alumni, contact your university/college career centre!  Many of them have also tip sheets and career advice right on their websites

• Follow leaders in your industry on LinkedIn 

• Follow legitimate career development professionals on social media for tips and advice (or reach out for personalized support, if that’s financially accessible for you)

• Ask your interviewer for feedback after an interview

• Find a trusted friend, family member or colleague for editing support on your resume or cover letters 

• Use an AI tool like resume.io or ChatGPT as a second set of eyes on your document to ensure it’s tailored to the job description

Share what you’re up to

I started this newsletter as a project at the end of parental leave.  I wanted to find a way to ease back into the professional world, and remember what the heck I do for work after being away for 15 months!  I reconnected to the career development field and was reminded that what I do is interesting and fulfilling.  As an unexpected side benefit, it has expanded my network and dropped me into new and interesting conversations.   

The takeaway here - talk about what you’re doing!  Talk about your job search, talk about your wins and struggles - you never know what good might come from sharing. Don’t give your struggles power by keeping them silent.

Let me know your thoughts! How have you gotten yourself ‘unstuck’ in a job search? What other strategies or tips would you add?

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