Why is Finding a Job so Difficult Nowadays?
It’s not the same as it was a decade ago.
On a recent Facebook group page, I wrote about someone I live with who enjoys opening windows and doors during winter. The person continues to do this in the mistaken belief that spring has arrived, although there is still snow on the ground. In addition, this person does this after cooking something stinky or burning food; and after sweating after doing chores around the house. In the same way, I am left shivering in my home. Despite this, they complain that turning up the furnace so high (when it’s only a smidge) causes the high heating bill. My post got a lot of feedback. A few people mentioned they do that, but they also turn down the furnace. Some agreed with me that this was inappropriate. However, I was upset by one response: “Look for a job.”
Answering this person, I said that it is hard to get a job today. The person’s next response made it seem like they did not believe me.
Obviously, the person who responded with that suggestion is still working and never was unemployed. A second person recommended I work for Uber, Instacart, Skip the Dish, and other delivery services. However, I do not possess a driver’s license or a vehicle. I take public transit.
In the past, I was also told to look for any job I could find. Having been there and done that, I don’t look forward to going through it again. Because of this advice, I won’t be able to find another job since I will only focus on the work that I have had. My problem is more of a focus issue. Besides, finding a job is a full-time job.
Today, finding a job is far more difficult than it was ten years ago. So, more and more people are out of work for over six months. There are several reasons:
- There are many job openings in the service, tourism, and hospitality industry.
Some people aren’t cut out to work as servers, bartenders, or in low-paying jobs. Besides, minimum wage can’t cover your rent and food. And there are few jobs in other industries right now.
2. Businesses have unrealistic expectations.
For the past few years, HR has repeated the same requirements for a position without changing a single word. Companies also need someone with X amount of experience, but pay does not attract the best candidates.
Many companies are looking for the perfect candidate to fill a position. In reality, this is not the case. Nobody is perfect, after all.
3, The Dreaded Applicant Tracking System.
Companies increasingly used ATS software to screen out candidates who do not include the right keywords in their resumes. In today’s world, a computer analyzes a resume before a human does. In addition, if you see a job posting that asks for something like Microsoft Word experience, mention that in your resume.
However, because of this system, these businesses are looking for an applicant who only exists on paper. I doubt many people possess the 80% of exact keywords that employers are looking for.
4. More and more people are looking for work.
In part, we can attribute this to the large number of layoffs that occurred during the pandemic and the Great Resignation. We are all competing for a single position.
5. Hearing only crickets.
Most people send out hundreds of resumes online, only to receive no response from any of the businesses they apply to.
Maybe you had an interview with a certain company and followed up on the position. You hear nothing back and now you think the company ghosted you.
6. You are only using job boards and not networking to search for employment.
Many people would rather search for a job on Indeed or LinkedIn than use Zoom or LinkedIn to network for one. These days, it’s networking that gets you an interview and a job, not the listings.
When I attempted to network on LinkedIn through my connections, all I received was the advice to look at job boards. I don’t think that’s a good thing to say to someone looking for work.
In addition, I know many people who hate the idea of networking. They don’t want to seem desperate. As a result, start practicing your elevator speech.
7. Applicants continue to be discriminated against by employers.
Besides ageism, racism, sexism, and homophobia, this applies to people who have been unemployed for over six months. The latter is easy to get around.
Perhaps you are wondering how. During a job interview, explain that you have been volunteering or enhancing your skills through online training. You were productive despite being unemployed for a long time.
With other types of discrimination, please contact the Human Rights Commission in your city. This is unacceptable, and I hope all companies hire people based on their skills rather than their age, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality.
8. Making one resume for every company in your field.
This was the case for many years. Getting my last job didn’t require me to update my resume all the time. Nowadays, you must customize your resume for every job you apply for. Do you find this tedious?
9. Being a Job Hopper.
This has been the bulk of my work history. As someone with ADHD, I’m sure I’m not alone in having this problem (I prefer not to use that as an excuse; it happens to everyone with this condition). So, I’m not a stranger to this. The last job I had lasted eight years. Therefore, it is the only job I have on my resume right now. It is likely that most employers will browse my LinkedIn page, which lists all of my previous positions.
Some people constantly switch jobs because they want a higher salary than their current employer.
10. Being over/under qualified
So you worked at the same company for 20 years before being let go. You possess all the skills that a prospective employer would look for. Following a week of waiting for a response from that interview, you email the employer, who informs you they chose someone else because you were overqualified.
A similar situation occurs if you have the same number of years of experience as your potential employer, but they believe you are underqualified.
11. Dreadful Job Interviews
I have a pet peeve about job interviews. I prefer to show my skills than talk about them. How can an employer decide to hire you based on what you say rather than what you do? Both employers and potential employees can lie during a job interview.
Not everyone can sell themselves like a natural salesperson. It still reminds me of getting zero dollar pledges from neighbors for the school Spell-A-Thon when I was a kid.
I’ve read online that interviews and resumes will soon become outdated. People are using TikTok, YouTube, Zoom, and hopefully, networking soon to get a job.
12. You don’t have enough experience.
High school and college graduates have a problem with this. Most jobs require experience. I was there myself between the ages of 16 and 25. Employers are not only ageist toward those over 40 but also toward those under 25.
However, it is not just the youth who lack experience. If you are in your 40s and 50s and considering a career change, but you don’t have enough experience to transition into your desired job. I’m going through this myself.
13. Most jobs will be obsolete because of automation.
It’s so 1920s and so racist to complain that immigrants are taking your jobs (I’m sorry, I have to say this). That’s not even true. Let me ask you this question: How do you pay for your groceries these days? Do you go up to a human cashier? Self-Checkout? Or do you use a delivery app?
Automation will make most jobs obsolete in the next couple of years because of the rapid pace of technological advancement. There are already AI Copywriting Services on the web for businesses that cannot afford human copywriters. But the only drawback to that is lack of creativity.
Soon, we will listen to music and talk shows through online radio, podcasts, audiobooks, and streaming services instead of terrestrial radio. Thanks to services like Netflix, we won’t need cable packages or TVs. People would rather watch a movie at home than go to the theatre. Technology is changing our lives at a rapid pace.
Conclusion
Now is the time for governments to provide Universal Basic Income to all their unemployed citizens. I don’t intend to imply that everyone wants to be lazy, that’s not what I’m saying. However, not everyone wants to be an engineer or work in the tech industry. In the coming years, this should be at the top of every government’s agenda. People who have been unemployed for over six months to five years are already experiencing this (as well as all the other reasons listed here), thanks to the pandemic. I’ve heard of someone finally getting a job after three years of being unemployed.
How do you all feel about this?
References
Companies are hiring but it’s still hard to find a job during the Covid-19 pandemic. (2021, September 20). Vox. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.vox.com/recode/22673353/unemployment-job-search-linkedin-indeed-algorithm
Proctor, C. (2022, January 8). Why Is It So Hard to Find a Job? (+ 5 Tips). ZipJob. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.zipjob.com/blog/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-a-job/
3 Reasons Why Finding a Job Is So Hard and How to Improve Your Chances. (2020, October 14). Indeed. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/why-finding-a-job-is-so-hard
21 Reasons Why Finding a Job is so Hard (solutions + tips). (n.d.). Free Resume Builder.io. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.freeresumebuilder.io/why-finding-job-hard
