Depression, fear, learned helplessness - these are not all the psychological barriers that prevent us from finding a job. Work.ua found out from psychologists what other psychological reasons there are for failure to find a job.
It happens that the reason for the inability to find a suitable job is not external factors, but internal reasons and psychological states. We asked our experts what they are and how they can be weakened or even eliminated.
Yulia Sulaeva
psychotherapist, trainer, head of the Content training center
Depression
The impact of depression on one's ability to find a job is often underestimated. But in vain. The current pace of life, the pursuit of achievements and constant stress have led to the fact that every fifth person is faced with this unpleasant condition quite seriously. Main symptoms: low vitality, pessimism, lack of motivation, loss of interest in life, inability to have fun, inability to make decisions and concentrate on achievements, chronic fatigue, increased or decreased appetite, insomnia or excessive sleepiness, decreased sexual desire. A distinction should be made between short-term depressive states, which are a reaction to grief, loss, stress, changes in health status, and long-term depressive states, which last from several months to several years. And no matter how much others urge a depressed person to pull himself together, stop moping and strive for achievements, it does not help. Depression is an illness and requires a different kind of help.
What to do
If you have discovered most of the symptoms, and they are quite pronounced, remember how long this condition lasts. In the current quarantine situation, almost all of us are experiencing depressive periods as a stage of experiencing a loss of stability and certainty.
a) If the depressive state is not long-lasting, don’t worry and give yourself the opportunity to live through it. Get plenty of rest, don’t scold yourself for low productivity, and replenish your resources whenever possible. This could be contact with nature, delicious food, warm communication with loved ones, communication with animals, etc. Some simple and accessible things that make you feel full.
b) If depression lasts more than a month, seek help. A competent psychotherapist will determine the cause of your condition and the method of treatment. Sometimes depression can only be dealt with through psychotherapy, and in some cases it will be necessary to also see a psychiatrist and receive medication treatment.
Learned helplessness
Sometimes, in the event of experiencing a strong fiasco, loss, crisis, and most often, from a long series of failures, a person falls into a state called “learned helplessness.” At the same time, the ground under my feet is lost, my hands give up, and I get the feeling that all my efforts are in vain and nothing depends on me. This greatly affects motivation, since it is influenced not only by desires and needs, but also by an assessment of the ability to achieve what you want. If there is no confidence that “I can, I can succeed,” then there is no readiness to invest particularly in achieving the desired goal.
What to do
a) Think about the fact that every failure is an experience and another step towards achievement. All successful people initially went through a series of mistakes and failures. For example, Edison made about 10,000 unsuccessful experiments while trying to improve the incandescent light bulb and did not give up.
b) Create your own experience of successful achievements, your “List of Achievements.” Make a to-do list for the day, including very simple and easy tasks at first. Let there be more than 20 items on this list. For example, get up in the morning and do 5 squats, brush your teeth, drink coffee, call a friend, read 1 page of a book, look at vacancies, choose the right ones, send 2 resumes, etc. After each completed task, mark it on the list. Strive to ensure that all tasks are completed by the end of the day. This will gradually create the experience of success and the feeling that you are influencing your life. As your sense of confidence increases, you can add more complex and important things to the list.
Inadequate self-esteem
Both low and high self-esteem hinders you from finding a job. From a psychological point of view, these are two sides of the same coin, since a person inflates his own grandiosity due to the fact that he feels insignificant inside. The key to achievements, successful development, a healthy mental state and harmonious relationships with others is an accepting, warm attitude towards oneself and an adequate understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses.
What to do
a) Sit comfortably, relax, close your eyes and say the phrase “Despite the fact that I ... (the main claim against myself), I completely love and accept myself.” Listen to your inner feelings. If this phrase causes rejection and other unpleasant emotions, this topic requires elaboration. Repeat it daily and watch how your sensations change.
b) Remember what messages in most cases you received from your parents as a child. Whether it was more criticism or whether you received more support and encouragement. Usually, a sufficient amount of support and the absence of severe stress in childhood form a fairly adequate self-esteem. If this does not happen, then you can correct the situation now. Imagine yourself little and write that boy or girl a letter with words of support and encouragement. Re-read it from time to time.
c) Make a list of 20 points why you are good . Include both personal and professional qualities.
d) And only after you feel that your attitude towards yourself has warmed up, make a list of qualities and skills that you want to improve in yourself. Outline the first steps towards achieving them.
No desire to work
If you've been looking for a job for a long time, but you still can't find one, explore whether you really have a desire to work. If there is no desire to work, then the employer easily “considers” this. And you will always find unacceptable shortcomings in the vacancies offered, subconsciously rejecting even good options. The reasons for the lack of such a desire may be different. It happens that a person has experienced many unpleasant situations at his previous job and is subconsciously afraid of their repetition. Perhaps, due to excessive tension, zeal and regular overload, I received “professional burnout”, and in this state there is absolutely no desire to work. The cause may be depression, which is described above. Perhaps you are doing something that you don’t like, or you have already grown out of it. Or there is a strong desire for another person, for example, a marriage partner, to provide. So a woman can dream of taking care of the house and raising children, and entrusting the financial support of the family to her husband.
What to do
If you honestly admit to yourself that deep down you don’t want to work, then try to determine the reason. If the reasons are: severe trauma in a previous job, professional burnout or long-term depression, it is definitely better to seek professional help; such conditions are extremely difficult to correct on your own. In other cases, look for options that are acceptable to you - it may be worth considering new areas of activity, agreeing with your partner on the distribution of responsibilities in the family, and so on. It all depends on the reason.
Inability to present yourself
Many of the applicants, despite good professional training, are very lost and embarrassed during the interview. Because of this, they are perceived as insufficiently professional, insecure and weak. Judge for yourself, all other things being equal, who would you prefer? A person who speaks calmly, kindly and with dignity, looking at the interlocutor, without nervousness, clearly, with good articulation, or someone who mumbles, looks away and shifts from foot to foot?
What to do
Improve your communication skills. There are many good videos on this topic on the Internet. If possible, take public speaking courses; this is a very useful skill - presenting yourself, your ideas and projects in an inspired and convincing manner.
Dmitry Kushch
psychologist, trainer, leading specialist of the Content training center
Fear
Sometimes job seekers talk about fear, fear not only of competing for the desired position, but also of the necessary changes after achieving the goal. When preparing for an interview, everyone tries to present themselves from the best side, investing both time and effort into preparation. Having gathered his strength and sparkled with all his colors at the interview, the applicant finds himself in the situation of having to maintain this new bright image of his even after receiving the desired position, that is, to give his all at work constantly, day after day. For some, as a result of this, even before the interview, a subconscious fear arises at the prospect of living in constant tension. Of course, every employer wants to get the best employee, but common sense says that people are not robots and are capable of maximum dedication only at crisis stages of work, otherwise any professional will burn out.
What to do
Look for a harmonious combination of workload and your capabilities , but do not forget that learning and improving your professional level is the key to your success.
The applicant does not have a clear understanding of what he wants to do
There are no specifics about your future activities. There are many specializations in any profession. If someone wants to work as an artist, but has not decided in which direction, then he risks wandering around the labor market for a long time in vain searches and attempts. Some artists paint landscapes, others draw cartoon and comic book characters, some do computer graphics and graphic design, and so on.
What to do
If you narrow your search criteria and decide on the desired result , it will be much easier to choose the path to your goal.
What affects the number of invitations
Your profession is “mobile application developer”, three years of work experience, do you have a portfolio?
The search time will be a negative value - most likely, you have offers from employers before changing jobs. Are you the editor-in-chief of a low-rated publication and don’t understand what your colleagues from successful media are talking about? Six months of searching is your minimum. It is employee hygiene to periodically monitor objective indicators in your industry that may affect your search time. For example, using such data. The duration of the search is directly influenced by the individual characteristics of the candidate: objective (professional level and experience, possession of search and self-presentation skills) and subjective (motivation to search, expectations from future work, ambitions).
What difficulties will arise when looking for a job after a break?
The candidate's resume will have a low open threshold and the number of responses will be minimal. As a result, there will be practically no invitations to interviews. Why? If we are talking about HH.ru, the recruiter receives your response in a shortened form, like this:
Based on the information he sees, the recruiter decides whether he should view the full version of the resume. The logic is this: if the period of active work ends, for example, in 2015, the recruiter needs to contact you and clarify what you have been doing for the last three years (were you sick? were you studying? were you on maternity leave?). This takes additional time, and if there are a large number of candidates with more recent experience and the absence of “aggravating” circumstances, preference will be given to them.
How to fix the situation:
- by correctly adjusting your resume;
- placing the necessary accents in it;
- writing targeted cover letters;
- manifestation of additional activity (training, demonstration of increased motivation, reaching out to people who know you from past achievements before the break).
What slows down the search:
You are applying for a high position and salary. Top managers are unhappy people. Once they fall out of a certain circle of connections, the search for a job that meets their needs and expectations turns into painful work.
You are old and have low qualifications. An excellent doctor, an excellent engineer, an experienced builder will find work at any age. A resume for the position of a junior copywriter indicating the experience of “courier”, “loader”, “cashier” in combination with an age of 45+ can be compared to a search handbrake.
Personal passivity (you don’t send responses, don’t update your resume, don’t use personal connections).
Meditation to help
And here I will write about the benefits of meditation in this problem, if you need to understand what you want. I have an article about meditation, read it and enjoy it.
In proper meditation, we immerse ourselves in a state where we completely trust ourselves. But we cannot harm ourselves in any way. Ask yourself what you want from life and let life itself lead you to the job you want.
Ask yourself a question in a meditative state, what do you want, what do you like? Watch the cartoon, the unconscious will definitely show you a sign. All you have to do is recognize it.
How to solve a problem
If work is needed yesterday, then it’s too late to do prevention. Personal activity is the most basic tool. Online, these are responses to vacancies and the correct settings for a resume. The main goal that an online resource can solve is to receive an invitation to an interview. Every point on your online resume influences an employer's decision to hire you. Every missed or poorly completed section is a lost opportunity. From the experience of searching on Superjob, for example, we see that if a person writes “not ready” in the “business trip” column, then the number of invitations he will have is 1–2% less.
Again, online is a powerful tool, but it’s not the only one. If you are looking for a job, then expand your circle of contacts: former colleagues, friends, family, project partners, institute friends, members of professional groups on social networks. According to Superjob.ru, 85% of personal recommendations lead to successful employment.
Vitaly Kirilenko 05/04/2020, 12:12
Who wants to work? People have a clear understanding. what they want to do is to be a deputy, to kick ass for 1-2 thousand bucks.
- Answer
Dmitry Samoderzhenkov 05.05.2020, 21:14
How can he feel? Yourself a person if. He spent his whole life behind the wheel. And now He is 50 years old and they don’t hire him anywhere to work in the driver’s seat at the Abo restaurant office. He is no longer interested in being a freight forwarder...
- Answer
Dmitry Samoderzhenkov 05.05.2020, 21:20
And also, as Dmitro Kushch said. Fear of sleep talk. So my fear is not of the conversation, but of the resume of the employer’s security service about my candidacy for the seat. I’m also afraid of how I’ll live to see my first salary, since all my savings have already been spent during quarantine and looking for another job?
- Answer
Dmitry Samoderzhenkov 05.05.2020, 22:08
And perhaps, my potential employers are saying that I am in the state of deep depression, a kind of separation, wasting Rodichiv, that Friendly at the beginning of fate, the appearance of pracita and the profit for two months. The inability to pay the rent
- Answer
Lion Ch 05/09/2020, 17:32
Unfortunately, in Ukraine people are of no use to anyone. That’s why you only need to re-insure yourself. The one who knocks is punished. Believe in yourself and want to work for someone.
- Answer
Tatyana Zueva 09/06/2020, 14:00
I watched webinars, read specialized literature, improved my qualifications, went to interviews, but they didn’t hire me because I’m a single mother (I am entitled to additional social leave, which many employers do not want to provide). At one job I didn’t report my status; I was fired when they found out. What is the motivation? What desire to present yourself?
- Answer
Antonina Konyushenko 10.20.2020, 23:36
What should you do if it’s difficult to cope with the fear of an interview, if you’re used to working and telling her about yourself?
- Answer
Rimma Didkovska 10.21.2020, 13:08
They don’t hire because they need young people
- Answer
Tetyana Pavlyuta 10.26.2020, 11:28
They don’t hire young people because they need experience.
- Answer
Svetlana Nekrasova 11/24/2020, 01:32
And they are wrapping up my resume despite the “marketable” appearance, 20 years of experience working in foreign companies, with foreigners and more, and the fact that I worked and grew steadily and successfully and even lived and worked abroad for 35 years+ Even before the interview gets through. They send a refusal. I removed the date of birth to check the effect - they call and write, but the age is specified over the phone and does not reach the interview. There is no fear, no depression, no apathy. While I’m looking for a job... just to complete strange stupid tasks, I silently learned a couple of programs and completed the tasks. I’m silent about installing Zoom Teams and telegrams, etc. It’s just that the labor market is like this - everything is no longer in your hands, God forbid you get lucky :) But in theory the advice is good
- Answer
Oksana Borys 22.11.2021, 22:18
Serve, obviously, garni. There are three key problems, which, unfortunately, will not get into at all. Persha: if you are over 30 (God forbid, over 40) - you are already an outsider. I especially came across the worst discrimination ever. At the same time, my diploma and evidence have reached few people. Friend: wage rate. Most robot sellers respect that you can work hard for 10-12 years, but want to pay you a maximum of 8-10 thousand. I worked in a store of artistic goods - on my feet all day, having to work at the cash register, at the terminal, trying to sell more and better. You put 3,000 into the cash register per year, and you pay the store 8,000 per month. Do you think there is depression, phobias, an incorrectly formed resume here on the right? Third: have you tried to figure out the percentage of robot sellers who work officially? Do they give hope to tomorrow?
- Answer
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Find something that will help you maintain faith in yourself and your strengths
It could be anything.
Your past successful work experience. Received education. A support group made up of family and friends. Try to remember all your achievements, everything that you can be proud of, from winning a school football match to winning a major tender at your last job. If all of the above doesn’t help, then get your kindergarten photo out of the depths of your family albums. Look into the eyes of this child and remember how many promises were given to him then: to become a pilot, a big boss, and finally a happy person. You certainly can’t deceive him, right?
The likelihood of success depends on you
Employers often receive dozens of applications, and many of them they don't even look at. The better you prepare for the search, the greater your chances that an HR specialist will select your resume from the entire stack and invite you for an interview.
Success consists of many components. Some of them can be influenced, others cannot. Do everything that depends on you, and if you receive a refusal, analyze the reasons and draw conclusions.
Instead of blaming your employer, use failure to grow.
Always remember that you will only lose if you stop trying completely.
Try lowering your requests
Everyone wants to find their dream job with insurance, paid sick leave, a completely “white” salary, a comfortable office, and more.
If you follow all our recommendations and receive repeated rejections over many months, you may need to admit that you are “playing out of your league.”
.
Dreams are good, but we all need something to live on. In this case, you need to be able to admit the facts - maybe you are not ready for this position and you need to lower your demands?
Once you gain experience and knowledge and become a truly indispensable employee, you will return to your requirements or even increase them.
In everything you need to observe moderation. Adequately evaluate your skills and know your worth. By reducing your demands, there is no need to go to the other extreme and take on non-core work.
Basic mistakes
A person rejects options that are imposed by society as unworthy.
A common stereotype is low pay. This applies to vacancies that do not require higher education, special skills or experience. The main thing is to work hard and hard.
Among these professions:
- couriers;
- waiters;
- baristas;
- animators;
- movers;
- administrators, etc.
If you want to make money, then you need to try to do it. Sometimes a regular courier has a higher salary than an office employee.
Barista is one of the positions that you can get without qualifications.
Wrong search method
Reviewing all the vacancies in a row, hoping to see the right one, is not the best option. Systematization helps in any matter. Decide on the desired location and salary level. For this purpose, there are filters on thematic sites.
Another case is the search for a leadership position. If a person is looking for it in newspaper advertisements, then the search is doomed to failure. A prestigious company places such information only on its website or on labor exchanges.
Outdated views
Some people never think about starting their own business. It is easier for them to find an employer, keep records in the work book and receive a pension at the end of their work experience. Those who have tried to work for themselves will not enrich others.
Among the alternative options for earning money are the following:
- freelancing;
- investment;
- own business;
- network marketing.
If a person has low self-esteem, you need to fight it. Always strive to become the best version of yourself.
Freelancing is a great option for alternative income
You're too far away
A candidate who lives close to his place of work always has more advantages than those who live in another city.
HR specialists, when choosing from two candidates, all other things being equal, will prefer the one who lives closer to the place of work. This is especially true in large cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg.
And that's why:
- A candidate who lives nearby will be able to quickly integrate into the work process, because he does not need to waste time and energy on moving.
- It is much easier for a person to drive up for an interview.
- Such people are much better integrated into the life of their area or city, and can bring clients or other employees with them.
- They are much less likely to be late in the morning and for business meetings. This has a positive effect on the company's image. And due to the short travel time, their emotional background is much better than that of those who spend several hours on the road every day.
- Such people do not need to be lured away by high salaries from other cities. They will not have expenses for moving, which means that investments in such workers will be much lower.
Focus on finding jobs in your region. Perhaps branches of large companies opened in your city are suitable for you. Working in such branches, it will be much easier to transfer to the main office later.
If you absolutely want to get a job in a certain city, you should think about moving and renting housing. You should write about this in the application form, then getting an invitation will become much easier.
It is worth listening to Edison's words.
It was not for nothing that Thomas Edison was mentioned at the beginning of this article. Indeed, a common cause of failure is lack of patience. Every mistake should bring you closer to your goal. But it’s not enough to constantly make mistakes; you need to draw conclusions and learn from each of them.
How to write a cover letter
Cover letters do not guarantee an interview, but they do significantly increase your chances. This is especially important during a career break because the right cover letter will contain information that helps the employer choose you.
- Write briefly, just the gist (the recruiter has little time and many applicants).
- The text should contain facts confirming your performance. The employer needs specifics and proof of your words.
- Study the job requirements, write about your relevant experience, and how you can be useful.
- Carefully add an explanation to the text about the reason for the break.
- Explain your motivation: why you decided to respond to the job advertisement.
- Add a call to action: “I’m ready to tell you in more detail during the interview about the benefits that I can bring.
You're not trying hard enough
Have you heard the saying: “Looking for a job is also a job”
. She appeared for a reason.
A resume is a business card for an employer. And the way it is presented is of great importance.
A personalized advertising brochure sent in a beautiful envelope by mail will attract your attention, and a flyer thrust into your hands near the metro will be sent to the nearest trash bin
without even looking at him.
If you filled out the application form somehow and thoughtlessly send it to dozens of companies every day, it is pointless to wait for invitations to pour in.
Put yourself in the shoes of the employer who received your application: an employee of the HR department or the director of the company sees that the candidate’s application form has been made “badly”, and in the “about himself” section the person writes that he is responsible and hardworking. It is unlikely that this will add points to you.
Many people don’t even bother to read the entire text of the posted vacancy!
The efforts made say much more about the candidate than the template “hardworking, responsible and stress-resistant” in the application form.
How to improve search efficiency?
- Instead of sending 10 resumes to a headhunter, send half as many, spending twice as much time on each one.
- Don't send requests to everyone. Research the market and employers. Find the right one and send applications immediately after vacancies are published on the site by subscribing to the newsletter from this company.
- Personalize! Tailor your resume to a specific vacancy so that it meets its requirements. In your cover letter, address the director or head of the HR department personally.
- Don't get hung up on the stock exchanges. According to statistics, only 20% of vacancies are posted on the Internet. The remaining 80% are not closed due to people from the street. These are acquaintances of employees, transfers from position to position within the company or by direct written requests.
Asking the employer directly about open vacancies is exactly what will help you get ahead of your competitors and get a position, even if there is no such vacancy on the Internet. Write inquiries, call the HR department, ask when recruitment is planned for the position you are interested in.
Make yourself known to get noticed! Don't be afraid to use phone calls and personal meetings for this.
Dot all the i's
Sometimes we can't find a job simply because we don't know what we're looking for. We mutter something like: “I want a salary of at least N thousand rubles” or “I want to work in the specialty I received at the university.” When fate so obligingly presents us with what we, in fact, asked it for, we have a heap of discontent and doubts: “No, the salary, of course, is decent, and I studied this for five years, but I’m not sure that I can take on such responsibility / come to the office every weekday, which is located on the other side of the city / work overtime” and so on.
In order not to fall into this trap, code-named “What you asked for, you got,” you should not have vague ideas about your future work. Take a piece of paper and describe in detail everything you expect from your life's work, from job responsibilities and salary to the presence of a dress code and a coffee machine in the office.
Perhaps after making a list like this, you will realize that you want too much. At least for now. And this is not a tragedy, and this does not mean at all that you should bury your dreams without even giving them a chance to come true.
In such a case, it is very important to remember your ideal. And know what you are ready for until it is offered.
Reason No. 5. Insufficient motivation to work
You can highlight what prevents you from finding the most optimal options:
- make excessive demands;
- unable to market themselves properly.
The discrepancy between supply and demand in the market leads to the need to solve an important dilemma - agree to less now or wait further.
Things are completely different when a person lacks the proper motivation to find a job. It is all the more important to clearly understand your own desires and turn to alternative options. Perhaps freelancing or remote access will be an offer worthy of using your strengths and hidden abilities.
What to do if you want to change your field of activity
If we consider this step in parallel with a long break in work, then there are two news, bad and good. The bad: moving from one area to another is never easy. Good: you have time to prepare for entering the labor market in a new capacity.
- Find out where you are now: evaluate your current skills, position, experience in general.
- Decide where you want to go: determine your target position.
- Assess the gap: what is missing for you to make this transition happen.
- Assess the reality of the transition.
- Find out where you can acquire the required knowledge, skills and abilities. For example, what courses and books will help you. You may need to talk to an expert or find a mentor.
- Look for entry points into a new profession. Complete projects in training courses, help friends (any real case is better than theory), do test tasks for vacancies. Take internships, including free ones, find a freelancer who will give you some of the simple work with the condition of feedback and error analysis. There are many options.
- Prepare for the fact that the transition will take from several months to several years (depending on the difference between your current and target skills) and you will need to study, work and develop a lot and methodically.
So, if you are looking for a way to realize yourself while having a long career break, you need to do it right.
- First, determine empirically or with the help of a specialist what is preventing you from moving to the next stage in your job search.
- Think about how to neutralize this obstacle.
- Learn and develop, try different approaches.
- And don't give up!
The problem is in the resume
Making a good impression on an employer is important, but if you don't have any experience in the role, you're unlikely to be invited to join the company.
Your application form is your business card, which should briefly and succinctly describe your qualifications, education and experience. The questionnaire should be easy to understand, correctly formatted and contain all points of interest to the employer. See templates for filling out your resume here.
Completing and submitting a resume correctly is important, but often a potential employer does not even read it if the future employee does not have experience in the position.
Not everyone knows that there are several ways to purchase it:
- Seminars, trainings and advanced training courses will only take you a few weeks, but will greatly increase your chances of getting a position. “Crusts” are still treated with great respect.
- The resume must be tailored to the specific vacancy. If you do not have experience, indicate experience from previous places that can be applied in the new position.
Well, if there is absolutely nothing in common between the previous and new vacancies, perhaps you should reconsider your position.
How to write a resume
The resume and cover letter are the first contact with the employer. Therefore, it is necessary to dispel his doubts at this stage. How to do it?
Explain the reason for the break and show that nothing is stopping you from working now. You also need to strengthen your position compared to the average candidate. You should be head and shoulders above, the results of previous activities, super motivation, additional training and so on will help.
Let's look at common causes of interruptions in work activity, as well as what concerns they cause among employers and how to neutralize them.
Decree
What’s scary: lost my qualifications, frequent sick leave to care for my child.
What to write
For example, in the “About Me” block, indicate: “From 2021 to 2021 I was on maternity leave. The child goes to kindergarten, the adaptation period was successful, two grandmothers and a nanny are in the wings.” And a control shot: “I miss work, I really want to be useful to the new employer.”
Household period
What’s scary: she’s not focused on intense activity, her motivation is unclear.
What to write
“For the last three years I have been a housewife. Currently, he is the only breadwinner in the family. I am considering a vacancy for an SMM marketer; three months ago I received a diploma in SMM manager. Thesis is on the topic of business promotion in social networks. I worked on several projects, client reviews can be found at the link.”
Illness or injury
What's scary: how it will affect work
What to write
“From July 2021 to March 2021 - recovery from a broken leg. Now I’m completely healthy, I’m looking for a full-time office job.”
Caring for a relative
What's scary: repetition of the situation.
What to write
“For the last six months I have been caring for a seriously ill relative. At the moment there is no longer such a need, the priority is work.”
Long job search
What’s scary: the candidate is a “downed pilot.”
What to write
The ideal option is to “cover it up” with project activities.
“From April 2021 to the present, I have successfully implemented two projects:
- Federal network of medical clinics "...". Objective: study of satisfaction with the franchising program. Result: developed questionnaires, analyzed survey results, prepared reports indicating key growth points and recommendations for program optimization.
- Bank "...". Task: developing a system for regular analysis of customer satisfaction. Result: proposed a set of metrics, mechanics and methods of data collection, threshold values. The analysis system was implemented by the customer.”
Studies
What's scary: the candidate is an eternal student.
What to write
“For the last two years I have been studying at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), majoring in finance. I really want to apply my previous experience and acquired knowledge to work in the financial department of your company.”
Freelancing
What’s scary: the candidate is used to freedom; such an employee will be difficult to manage.
What to write
We connect our skills with the employer’s requirements, attach a portfolio with the best works on the topic of the request. We explain why we want to hire you (honestly, but carefully).
Entrepreneurship
What’s scary: the same thing as a freelancer.
What to write
We connect our skills with the employer’s requirements, prove the effectiveness of our work with facts, and show how we plan to solve the employer’s problems. We justify our motivation for moving into hiring, presenting the entrepreneurial type of thinking as our advantage.
And a couple more tips:
- Remember that employers are less interested in how long you have worked. What is more important is what you can do and how you can prove it.
- Be very careful in terms of wording, avoid a large number of exclamation marks. Recruiters will react coldly to the phrases “Do not bother representatives of recruitment agencies!” or “Don’t waste my time on offers with gray salaries!!!” I also saw the following options: “I’m already tired of explaining that I didn’t work because I was on three maternity leave!”
