A couple of weeks back I was at my daughter's hockey practice, I got speaking to one of the Mums there and it turned out she was a Creative Artworker who had recently lost her job due to the Pandemic.
Not knowing what I did for a living I probed a little deeper. She was not in a good place. She was just totally deflated having made a ton of job applications without making any real progress.
Having been in the job market for a couple of months things had started brightly but had progressed into a depressing dead end and one that I like to refer to as the compound rejection cycle (or the dreaded job search spiral of doom).
Hockey Mum’s situation is not unique and in-fact it’s something I see quite a lot (which is why I decided to create this post). This is how the situation typically pans out…
1. JOB SEARCH BEGINS
Spirits are high, the horizon is full of optimism and hope. The job market is all new, plenty of opportunity – a targeted job search begins with applications made only to the most interesting and relevant positions.
2. SLOW PROGRESS
For any number of reasons (CV, Search Strategy, Keywords etc.) success isn’t forthcoming, spirits become dented and due to this initial lack of success the job search starts to become diluted with job applications extending to roles that might not be 100%. The reduction in relevancy means rejection increases.
3. PANIC STATIONS
As time passes panic starts to set in, now job applications are spread far and wide across a plethora of different roles, many of which wouldn’t have even been considered at the start. Relevancy is non-existent for many positions so rejection increases again and becomes compounded.
Compound Rejection Cycle
As the following diagram shows, you become caught in this compound rejection trap…
The Compound Rejection Cycle - An easy trap for job seekers to fall into.
The wider you extend your job search the further away you step from your true worth and value (the skills and experience that employers really need from you). As your applications extend into territories beyond your normal comfort zone employers and recruiters start to see you as irrelevant and not a suitable or competitive fit when stacked up against other candidates who match their job requirements better.
Rejection becomes compounded, your spirit taking a hit each time a new rejection comes through, and as time passes this process repeats and repeats.
I leveled with this Mum revealing that I was an experienced career coach and job search advisor. I explained she was caught in the job search spiral of doom. "Hockey mum you need to press the reset button" I said, "before you apply for any further positions it's important to understand what value you have to offer an employer, what your key skills are and what makes you stand-out against the competition".
Understanding your own worth will not only give you self-confidence in your abilities but will also help you isolate which opportunities are the right for you which in turn will mean you have more success.
Compound Success Cycle
As the following diagram shows, the success cycle moves you closer to your goals…
“It's time you focus on your niche” I said, “you need to update your CV, your LinkedIn profile and your cover letter, it all needs to work together so you can focus on your specific skills, the ones that add the most value to your future employer - this is how you'll win interviews, and this is how you'll secure a position that allows you to continue to build on your existing skills and experience”.
By creating a joined up job application which plays to your strengths and is relevant to the roles you are applying for will generate great results. How does the saying go "If you appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one".
After two weeks, I saw Hockey Mum again and she was totally made up, she had followed my advice, she had 3 interviews booked in with companies she liked and for roles which were right for her.
Spirits lifted, confidence returned, and a clear job search path to follow. Oh, and also a new friendship. All round win.
If you’ve experienced a similar situation to Hockey Mum and would like to know how I might be able to help you please get in touch with me here.
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