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Blacklisted for This Job Search Mistake
A new survey came out just in time for Halloween – and it’s scaring a lot of long-term job seekers. If you’ve been looking for work and feel like you’ve been “blacklisted” by employers – you could be right.
Forty-three percent of recruiters say they would consider blacklisting candidates who apply for jobs they aren’t qualified for. They do so by suppressing your name in future talent searches.
Are You Guilty? If So, You Need a New Gameplan
I’ve worked with a lot of job seekers, especially, the long-term unemployed. One common mistake I see them make is failing to conduct a “strategic” job search. In short, they are doing a lot of activities they think they should be doing, when in reality, their approach is ineffective and producing zero results. The worst part is that the longer they fail at looking for work, the harder getting hired becomes.
Check out this infographic, and then join me to design your blueprint for success.
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- Why you need to stop looking for a job in order to find work.
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Fact: Nobody is ever taught in school how to job search.
As a result, the average American is ill-prepared to conduct a productive job search when the time comes. And, if you were laid-off or fired from your last job, you are starting from a place where you lack confidence in your ability to sell employers on your value.
It’s time to break the cycle of ineffective job search tactics and get some innovative, fresh perspective on how you can get back to work.
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2 Comments
Marc Wakefield
November 2, 2012 at 5:16 AM
While I do not blacklist any potential candidates as I do believe there is a perfect job out there for everyone, I do get put off by job seekers doing any of the above. I know times are hard and there are no where near as many jobs as there once were, (especially in Interior Design – which is Alchemy Design Recruitments specialist area) but a recent graduate applying for several Senior Interior Designer or Design Director roles does give serious cause for concern.
The first reason:
In this money conscious economic climate we live in, employers can not afford to take chances and they will be extra picky about finding an exact fit for the job. They WILL NOT look at a candidate who does not meet their criteria or falls short in key areas unless there is something seriously special about them. There is very little point in applying for a job because you have “some” of the skills and experience the job calls for unless it specifies that they will except candidates with experience in other areas. Unfortunately employers are not giving as many “chances” or “opportunities” at the moment and most of them do not have the time, money or resources to train an under-qualified, under-experienced person to do the job.
If the job calls for an Interior Designer with experience in retail projects, a designer who has spent their career working on residential projects is not going to cut it.
There are still a lot of people unemployed and redundancies are still happening everywhere. If an employer can afford to wait a little while, they will get the right person for the job.
The second reason:
If you regularly apply for jobs that are not relevant to your skill set or area of expertise, a recruiter will start to doubt your intelligence or your ability to understand a simple job specification.
When the right job does come along, how can we confidently present you as a first class candidate to our client or a hiring manager when the job will undoubtedly involve many more taxing tasks than the above? For this reason you need to seriously consider any application you make.
Going through masses of unsuitable candidates wastes an awful lot of our time. If you are the last unsuitable candidate in an unfruitful day of resourcing, a red eyed, tired recruiter will remember you. If you are a serial offender it will seriously affect your chances in the long run.
That being said…. design is a bit different. If you have an outstanding and unique portfolio, a lot of ambition and the potential to produce great work, there may still be a chance. If you never try, you will always fail.
A CV and generic cover letter will get you nowhere and If you REALLY believe you are the person for the job, you need to make a strong case for yourself. Highlight the key areas that make you a valid choice for the job and give a recruiter several great reasons why you are the right candidate.
ONLY do this if you HONESTLY think there is a chance, otherwise do not bother.
ALWAYS be completely truthful to yourself and the recruiter.
(If you are unlucky to end up with a job you are unsuitable for it could end up being a terrible experience.)
READ and UNDERSTAND the job description.
(If the job description or advert is a little light on information – it is the fault of the recruiter and you are entitled to ask questions.)
Good Luck out there.
MARC WAKEFIELD
Josh Tolan
October 31, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Great post, thanks for sharing! Job seekers should definitely make a point to switch up their strategy once they realize they’re not getting the results they want. One way job seekers can help themselves to stand out is by creating an online video resume. This will show recruiters you’re detail-oriented and willing to go the extra mile in all your professional efforts.