If you’re in the process of looking for work you will know very well how often people ask “so did you get the job?”. This is always a question you’re happy to shout “YES” to if you got the job, but what about if you didn’t get the job? Then having to justify and explain why you didn’t get the role, but aside from this have you actually given much thought to why you might not be getting that job? Today’s blog is going to explore some reasons why you might not have gotten that job and how you can work to be better next time, to secure your dream job (well maybe not your dream job, but certainly a role you are looking forward to starting!).

Resume

You know you need a resume as every job asks for one, but you’re not very good on the computer, you haven’t got a great track record when it comes to spelling and punctuation, but surely if you can just put down all of your previous jobs then the potential employer will see how capable you are and will hire you/interview you? Unfortunately that’s just not the case. Your resume is going to give a potential employer their first impression of you, and you want to make sure it’s a good one! When an employer is advertising an attractive role you can be certain that they have received a high volume of candidate resumes to look through before deciding who to even get in touch with to discuss the job. Here’s our top tips for making sure that your resume stands out from the rest and is communicating your full potential:

Up to date resume

This seems like an obvious one but so many people miss it! Make sure you include your current role on your resume or your last role. Do you need any specific tickets or qualifications for the role? Are your tickets up to date? Make sure you include all of that information within your resume so they don’t need to ask for more information (you don’t want them to overlook you and not ask for the extra info!).

Describe what you do 

Make sure that you don’t just list the jobs that you have had in the past, but include a brief description of what each role involved. This is a great way to showcase your skills and responsibility, really sell yourself. If you managed other people, put it down. Helped make cost savings and increase productivity? Put it down.

Personal statement 

Make sure you include a little bit about yourself as a person on your resume, not just your work experience. Your future employer wants to know a little bit about you as a person, to see if you’ll fit into the work culture, to understand you a little bit more. Leaving this out could mean that they select someone else over you.

Of course it’s not always a result of a poor resume that can stop you getting those jobs you have been applying for. Have you ever considered how much you sell yourself when you are going for a job?

• Make sure you take every opportunity (whether this be on your resume, cover letter or in an interview) to tell your potential employer about the skills that you think are relevant to the role and why you’re the right person for the job.
• It’s not just your work experience that is relevant, but also personal attributes such as being a hard worker, a quick learner, punctual and even how you work on a team or alone. Make sure you sell your personal skills as much as your professional skills. This can be included within your resume or discussed during an interview.
• You know why you want the job and if you’d be good at it, but your potential employer doesn’t, so make sure you tell them why you should get the job and why you’d be good at it at every opportunity.

So you have a great resume, you’re getting interviews and are still not getting much further, frustrating isn’t it? You make sure you are applying for the jobs before the deadline, you are following up with your recruiter or potential employer and still not having any success. Have you ever thought that maybe you’re going for the wrong job?

Going for the wrong jobs

You might be doing everything right but you might also be applying for the wrong roles. There are many reasons why the job might not be right for you; if you’re from overseas they may not be able to offer employment for your visa type, if you’re located far away they may give preference to local workers, the positions may be viewed as too senior for your experience, or the same can be reversed and you can be viewed as too experienced for some positions.

Don’t get stuck in a rut with constant rejection, review your strategy and the roles you are going for. If you believe you’re applying for the right sort of role for your experience, then maybe look at the type of companies you are applying to work for.

If you are currently looking for work in the construction industry and would like to know what roles we currently have on offer then please contact us today at BriX Projects skilled labour hire and one of our team can help find you your dream job and make sure you get it!