5 Key Challenges Job Seekers Face And How To Overcome

Today’s Kenyan job market has turned job seeking into a full-time commitment. One cannot afford to relapse lest you miss out on an opportunity. Job application processes are a riddle in their own rights with very strict requirements for the applicants. Getting a job that suits your abilities, pays you commensurate with your skills and experience is proving to be a tall order. These have turned job hunting to be unpleasant and a frustrating experience.

If one makes through the application process, most of the times more than we expect we don’t get any feedback and left to wonder where we went wrong. We all deserve to know where we went wrong and Corporate Staffing Services will be hosting a job seekers event to answer all your job search questions and help you know how to prepare yourself better, you deserve to know.

Related: 7 Things Qualified Job Seekers Forget When Applying for Jobs

Here are 5 key challenges that job seekers face and how to overcome them

1. Lengthy and confusing application processes

Every job advert has its own application guidelines that many candidates DO NOT adhere to. That is the first step to missing out on the job, tailor your application to the required guidelines always. The lengthy and confusing application processes are a way to ensure that only the best get through it.

The thirteen steps to get to the “submit application” portal should not discourage you. Set time aside and go through each step carefully without getting frustrated, frustrations will not get you anywhere. Be sure to give the application your best, tailor what you are offering to what the position seeks.

2. Staying up-to-date

The “job” of looking for a job is not easy as employers are always looking for someone who is up-to-date. Employers hold the notion that if one is not employed, they become out of date. This does not have to be you, it’s your responsibility to keep up with the times and the job market activities.

Don’t spend your day staring at your phone and taking Instagram photos. Go out and attend networking events and professional training or conferences to keep your skills sharp and up-to-date.

3. Limited professional network

Having a network is very important as it serves as your support system that you get to tap into when job searching. 80% of jobs are never advertised, and these are where your proactive network comes in. They will be able to notify you of job openings in their organizations that you can apply for.

Ensure that your network is diverse in that you have those who will notify you when new openings appear and those who can put in a good word for you once you in the interviewing process. That said, don’t just sit and wait for your network to chew and feed you everything, go out and get experience even if it’s through volunteering and practice how to tell your employment transition story with confidence without digging yourself into a hole.

4. No feedback

A gazillion of applications and no feedback? You have submitted your application, gone for an interview, but all these stages have not seen you get any feedback or at best what you get is “You have not been selected for this position”.

That does not give you anything to go with in terms of where you went wrong and how to improve in the future. Seek guidance from a professional career interview coach who will walk you through the application procedures and ways to get feedback once you have submitted an application.

5. In the end:

Always think systematically and develop a job search process to help you track your job application activities and commitments and learn from the process.

A pattern will appear in terms how far you went in the application process and some of the things you learned. That will help you identify where you are selling yourself short and where you are aiming way above your qualifications.

Related: The Top 5 Career Choices You Will Regret Forever