Young And Unemployed? 3 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Hired

Post that is insightful taken from:

 http://www.careerealism.com/unemployed-not-getting-hired/

About Belen Chacon

Belen is a journalism graduate student at California State University, Northridge. She spends her time interning wherever she can and tweeting her heart out. You can follow her @journobelen.

If you’re a college graduate and you’re unemployed, you might have an idea of what I’m about to talk about. You’ve spent four years of your life hitting the books, getting good grades, participating in relevant extra-curricular activities, and maybe even juggling a part-time job in between. You’ve worked really hard for your degree and you’ve been told time and time again that a degree is essential to finding employment in today’s competitive job market. So, why are you not getting hired?
First of all, you’re not alone. According to this survey by the U.S. Department of Labor, men and women from ages 20-24 are about 70.9% of the total population, but only 13.3% are part of the labor force. Though the unemployment rate has slowly declined for Bachelor degree owners, it’s still lagging. For that reason, the competition is fiercer than ever. This means you really have to re-evaluate your job search strategy.

3 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Hired

Here are some reasons why you might not be part of the employed percentage just yet:

1. Your Resume Isn’t Job Specific

While it’s good to have a strong resume with all of your professional skill sets, your resume can become generic when all you do is send the same resume to every open position you find. Take the time to rewrite your resume on multiple occasions and use specific keywords that are in the job description.
According to an article on the Job Center of Wisconsin website, gathering information specific to the job you are applying for and matching it with your experience on your resume is what makes a good resume. You have to “Think like an employer,” the article states, “do not give unrelated or negative information.”

2. You’re Not Applying To Jobs That Are Specific To Your Skills

You have every reason to apply to every job in sight. Our economy, though steadily improving, is still lagging in jobs for recent graduates. Still, it doesn’t do you any favors when you apply to every single job you see and send the same resume to each one.
Apply to the jobs you want and are qualified for. After all, it’s what you studied for. Try to make a list of potential places you’d like to work for and target those companies any way you can. Use social media sites to find people you can network with, and keep an eye out for any open positions. You have a better chance at getting hired at a job where your skills are relevant than at a job you’re 100% unqualified for.

3. You Don’t Take Your Social Media Profiles Seriously

According to an article on the Undercover Recruiter, a survey of 300 professionals by Reppler found that “hirers are using social networks to screen job applicants.” This means you should clean up your Facebook and Twitter profiles to present a more positive, but more importantly, a professional image of yourself.
It might be in your best interest not to post that picture of you doing a keg stand as your default, or Tweet about how you hate looking for jobs because you’d rather be partying with your friends.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Belen Chacon

Belen is a journalism graduate student at California State University, Northridge. She spends her time interning wherever she can and tweeting her heart out. You can follow her @journobelen.