by Becky Cole

Have you tried to make sense of the process of finding a job lately, but felt like the more you tried to do it, the dizzier you got? You are not alone.

I attended a workshop that was taught by someone who used to be a recruiter for a local placement agency. She knew how things were done, yet when she found herself looking for a job, she found it difficult to navigate the system from the other side.

There is a great deal of information out there on what you should and shouldn’t do in writing a resume, in interviewing and other job-related activities for job-seekers. The problem it doesn’t address is that there is no consistency in how people get hired. The interview process varies widely from person to person, and from company to company.

Recently, I got one of those, “we appreciate your skills, but we found someone who more closely fits our needs,” emails, so I decided to respond and ask what did I miss that wasn’t in the job description. The job was for a grant writer, and I have several years of grant writing experience.

Much to my dismay and amusement, the response from the HR department included, “we can’t tell from your resume that you have the ability to independently identify and research funders.”

The next reason was just as strange – “There’s no way to tell that you are able to maintain client confidentiality.” When I got done laughing at the absurdity of it all, it was clear the HR person had no understanding of the function of a grant writer, yet this was the person who was screening resumes in order to determine who would get called in for an interview.

Unfortunately, this is typical of what happens. One time, I even used the bullet points from the job description as headers on my resume, and I still wasn’t qualified for the job. I’m sure you all have your share of stories, too.

So what do you do?

The first thing is to accept that this is the way the hiring world functions. You can’t change it.

In a close second, is don’t take it personally. They aren’t singling you out. Try to avoid second guessing yourself when you encounter a situation that doesn’t make sense. This can eat away at you and really serves no useful purpose.

Third, make sure you have done what you could. That means writing the best resume and cover letter you can. Then when you get those silly letters, you can be sure you didn’t get in the way of yourself in being considered for the job.

Finally, develop a plan for marketing yourself. Identify and research employers for whom you would like to work. Then network. Get involved in one or two or more job clubs and networking groups. Ask the people in those groups, “who do you know who works for this company” and see how they can get you connected.