5 hard truths of job seeking....

When I first started this blog I thought to myself, what is it I want to accomplish and more importantly why? As a person who has spent many hours searching on the Internet for my dream job I've realized some serious truths. The job market is growing and the tools that are currently on the Internet are failing job seekers. But here are some things  to keep in mind until it changes.

#1.....If you don't have a degree you're already at a fairly large disadvantage. While many others and myself included don't put a ton of weight into whether someone has a piece of paper that says they're smart, there is no denying many companies will disqualify you for not having one.

#2.....If you spend all your time focusing on one particular career path, you're doing yourself a disservice. What I mean by this is don't get so caught up in being a social worker because that was your major that you pass on a much higher paying job. While your heart may be set on doing social work or whatever it is you love, It's always good to broaden your career horizon even if only temporarily. You can always use the money you make to further your education in your field of choice.

#3......As I covered in my previous blog the average percent of time you will even hear back from a job you apply to is roughly 1-4 %. Don't get frustrated, try networking wth other professionals.

#4......People on linked in will likely have a title that sounds much more professional and dubious than what it is they actually do. I say this because doing this I believe is actually very detrimental to your career. Don't fall for the temptation of exaggerating your job title to impress people. 

#5.......A change is coming to this market. Whether it is my company or someone who beats me to the punch is yet to be seen but believe me the Internet job market will look drastically different in years ahead. 

CareerGenetics will revolutionize how individuals job search, and more importantly how those companies looking find those people. The days of endlessly applying to jobs only to be disappointed  time and again is well on its way to ending.

Why Internet Job seekers fail...

Job search....or search and rescue?

    Ever searched for a job? If you're like most people I know older than 20 you've not only searched for a job, but you've used the internet to help with this process. Here in lies the problem, the internet job search engines give you a 1-4% chance of hearing back from said job you applied for. Yes I said "hearing back" as in even getting a no we are not interested email. The average job search is somewhere between 5-8 months long, that is a lot of applications. So why would people even use the internet to search you're asking? Simple, ease of use. While we know networking has a much higher success rate of landing a job we are a society who likes to hit a button and receive instant gratification. On the flip side of that if you are a company why would you even want to deal with the flood of unqualified applicants streaming through your HR office daily? Simple, every other company does it, and quite frankly there is nothing better on the market. If you want to use Monster, CareerBuilder, or Linked-In as a company, be prepared to shell out some cash. While the majority of these companies have the budget to allocate towards these "job boards" I believe if given a better option they may change their strategy. That's where CareerGenetics enters the picture. By now you're probably saying career who, and that's ok because we have not launched yet. CareerGenetics is a concept startup company that began to come to life after becoming frustrated searching for a job. I was tired of getting fake emails saying companies were interested in me, or paying for "premium memberships" that would help employers notice me. After going to the drawing board for months and getting input from several colleagues I honed in on what it is I was wanting to change about the internet job search market. What I found is a critical step that has been missed by nearly every job search engine, QUALIFYING. As in building an accurate portrayal of who that potential employee is, was, and can be. The current setup is virtually the same across every site, you sign up, create or upload a resume, and begin the never ending search for a job of worth. At CareerGenetics we will turn this process upside down. In my next blog I will breakdown the specifics of what it is that we are creating, and how it will impact job seekers and companies alike.

                                                                    Jonathan Alan