When Your Skills Fail You

Where do you go in search of your dream job?

Aug 28, 2022

I met a job seeker who had just completed his University degree. He had a great GPA and sounded intelligent. He looked confident and seemed to know his stuff.

After a few conversations, I noticed he was still looking for work.

I felt terrible.

I could tell he was skilled, and employers would need his skills.

But it isn’t easy for employers to notice and hand a job over to him. Is it?

He must still be visible to employers and rank above other competitive applicants.

This strategy is not easy, especially for underdogs applying to jobs online.

Applying for jobs can take time.

It can take anywhere from 6-12 months to land the job you want after your studies.

I had the same challenge when I completed my degree in Australia in 2018. I found many job openings which I could do, but I struggled to land interviews.

Something was wrong.

I knew there was a problem.

My skills were great, but I was faced with lots of competition.

Employers received tons of applications for online job ads. The competition is fierce. Certainly, not suitable for a fresh grad like me.

The first step to finding a solution is understanding and admitting there’s a problem.

I had excellent skills, but my applications were not hitting the target.

The competition knocked my application out easily. I didn’t get the visibility I wanted from the organisations I applied to.

I knew I was competing with the world, so I decided to invest in relationships rather than believing my skills would fetch me the jobs I wanted. I had skills, but employers did not notice them.

I knew if I could invest in relationships and have a solid referral, my job search journey would end. I was confident all I needed was an opportunity to use my skills on the job. I was confident employers would appreciate my work once they gave me a chance.

In the end, it paid off.

A relationship is an investment that will build as you continue to devote your time and effort. The more you put in, the more you'll get back - Sumesh Nair

I used LinkedIn strategically by landing my first role in Australia.

I connected with people in dream roles and those in leadership positions. They provided a referral once they noticed my skills. These referrals ultimately helped me land two roles.

Building relationships is a simple yet undervalued strategy that can solve a long job search haul.

Your skills can fail you.

It’s no fault of yours. You might be competing with stronger candidates whom the employees simply prefer.

You can strategically improve your job search results by investing in relationships instead.

Use LinkedIn and your portfolio of work to your advantage. This is a good time to develop your personal website to show your work. It’s not as expensive as you think.

Find a strong referral and get the insider you need to end your job search trauma.

Sometimes all we need is an opportunity to let our skills shine.

Don’t give up on your job search when your skills fail you.

Turn to relationships instead.

I wish you the best.