I just finished reading Jon Gordon’s book The No Complaining Rule. According to Jon, people complain either because they feel fearful and helpless or because it has become a habit. He goes on to state that “Complaining can be a gift if we use it correctly. Once we know what we don’t like, we can decide what we do like and act on it. We can use complaining as a catalyst for positive change.” As I discussed yesterday, there are a lot of things to complain about in a job search. It can be a frustrating process. Here are some common job search complaints and some strategies for implementing The No Complaining Rule to move past them.
- My resume isn’t working. When job seekers don’t get interviews, they often blame the resume. While it’s true that an achievement-driven resume helps position job seekers for interviews, the resume is just one piece of the process. If you are complaining about your resume, examine how you are using that resume and change your behavior if necessary. If your primary method of search is posting on job boards and you aren’t getting results, start building meaningful connections with the people who can hire you rather than the people who are parsing the resume data. Create a proactive plan to target companies that you would like to work for where you believe there is a good fit and approach them directly, whether they are actively recruiting or not. Every company recruits at some point…build relationships now so you are considered as a candidate when an opportunity presents itself.
- No one in my network can help me find a job. Why is that? Have you spent the last 15 years talking to the same 3 colleagues or have you extended your networking efforts to include friends, family, school alumni, past colleagues, members of professional organizations, community service providers, and members of online networking communities? Not everyone can help you in a job search and you need to have a robust network so you are not relying on the same 3 people for introductions.
- I interviewed for a position and I haven’t heard back about next steps. Take the initiative to follow up on your own. This doesn’t mean leaving dozens of voicemail messages or sending multiple emails. Become top of mind by sending a reminder of the value you could bring to the team. This might be a relevant article, information about an industry event, or an acknowledgement of something you read about the company recently.
- It takes so long for the companies to make a hiring decision. Get used to it. While we would like to think that we are the #1 priority for hiring authorities, we often aren’t. General business issues, workplace snafus, and shifting priorities can all effect when the hiring decision is made. Deal with it by reaching out periodically to communicate that you are aware that they haven’t made a decision yet but you continue to remain very interested in the position.
- The person who interviewed me doesn’t seem to “get” what I do. If your first interview is with a human resources professional, that person may recruit for several functions across the company and not know all the nuts and bolts of what you do. They may still represent a bridge to the next round of interviews, so keep an open mind and a positive demeanor. Generally, HR is looking for cultural fit and your ability to work well in a team, so be sure to have several accomplishment-focused stories to demonstrate these competencies.
What other job search complaints do you have and how can you use complaining as a catalyst for positive change?
