Nick Kossovan, Column 15
I’m partial to the words of the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi: “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
Daily, I see job seekers constructing barriers that scream, “I’m unemployable!” Whether they’re unaware of how their actions are hindering their job search or believe the world should accept them as they are, many job seekers are their own worst enemy. When faced with rejection, they claim that employers are unfair, biased, and engaging in some form of discrimination instead of considering whether their actions are a contributing factor to their challenges in finding employment.
The most common self-imposed obstacles (barriers) I see:
Sense of Entitlement
When it comes to job searching, the number one self-created barrier is having a sense of entitlement, which turns off employers. You’re not owed a job because you have what you consider are “qualifications.” A humble attitude and a strong work ethic—evidenced by measurable results— make a positive impression on employers. Therefore, the first step to improving your job search odds is to embrace a humble mindset and lose any sense of entitlement you may have.
Unrealistic Expectations
“It’s your own expectations that hurt you. Not the world you live in.” – Jacque Fresco, American futurist (1916 – 2017)
Many job seekers enter the job market with a laundry list of demands influenced by their sense of entitlement. They expect a six-figure salary, remote work, and a 30-hour workweek, ignoring three truisms:
- The world doesn’t owe you anything, a job, a living, happiness. All must be earned on the terms set by social norms, market forces and others (e.g., employers).
- There’s always someone younger, more skilled and hungrier than you. You’re not an employer’s “must-have.”
- The golden rule: Whoever has the gold makes the rules.
Being realistic and accepting of what you can expect and what you’re worth in today’s job market—a free market—in which remote jobs are harder to find and land, your compensation ask may be too high for the value to claim you’ll bring to the employer and employers aren’t quick to hire will expedite your job search.
Bashing Employers on Social Media
It’s well-known that recruiters and employers will review your digital footprint to determine if you’re interview-worthy. Yet, despite knowing this, there’s a trend, fueled by a sense of entitlement, of publicly bashing employers on social media platforms, especially LinkedIn.
Publicly bashing employers does three things:
- Raises a red flag.
- Shows a lack of emotional control.
- Labels you as someone who can’t handle setbacks gracefully.
A negative digital footprint only serves to isolate you from potential employers.
An Incomplete LinkedIn Profile
Your online presence makes or breaks your job search. A LinkedIn profile with no profile picture, a blank banner, typos, grammatical errors and lacking quantifiable achievements says, “This person isn’t serious about their career.”
Failing to create a polished, engaging profile, knowing recruiters and employers will review and judge, raises the question: Why is the person deliberately hindering their job search and career success?
Lack of Networking
“Everything you want in life is a relationship away.” ― Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability.
It’s common knowledge that most job openings are filled through referrals and personal connections. Knowing this reality, if you’re not networking, you’re choosing to miss out on the countless opportunities around you right now; however, the opportunities are linked to people; thus, the more people you get to know, the more opportunities you’ll get to know.
The best book for learning how to network effectively: How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
Lack of Flexibility
Despite dwindling white-collar jobs and ongoing layoffs, some job seekers stubbornly hold out for their “perfect” job. While knowing what you want is important, being too rigid ignores the reality that the job market is free, where employers, as per the golden rule, hold the power.
Given today’s conditions, temper your “wants” and consider contract work or part-time positions, which can provide valuable experience, networking opportunities, and some income. Taking a step backward or sideways can be a wise career strategy. Trust me, having a job is better than not.
Believing the World Owes You Acceptance
The end goal of a job search is to find an employer (read: hiring manager) who accepts you. However, the world owes you nothing, including acceptance. Expecting to be liked or approved of can lead to resentment and bitterness, complicating your job search. Vulnerability is essential in this process. If you approach it with a mindset of entitlement, disappointment will follow, leading to unnecessary stress and anxiety—mental barriers you don’t need.
Employers seek problem solvers, not victims. Shift your focus from what you think you deserve to what you can offer.
Job searching is challenging enough without adding unnecessary barriers, essentially being your own worst enemy. Removing the aforementioned barriers and taking full responsibility for your actions and perceptions will place you in a much better position to achieve job search success.
