The 3 Doors to Landing a Job!

by Chandra Drevjany, Principal and Co-Founder, eLoft Careers ​

​Job search entails a series of 3 doors you must open in order to be successful.  These doors are sequential meaning you must get the first door open in order to move to the second door and the second to get to the third.  If you manage to get to the third you are doing well and will soon land a job.  If you are struggling with your search, try to figure out which door is stuck and what you need to do to navigate your way forward.

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​Door #1:  Are your applications resulting in job interviews?   

​If you are getting interviews for 5-10% of the jobs you are applying for, then you have successfully opened door #1.  If you are getting many more, fantastic – you are doing a great job with your applications.  If, however, you are getting less, let’s look at some solutions in order to successfully open door #1.

Here are some solutions to help you in opening door #1 which is the toughest to navigate as there may be several reasons this door is not opening:

• Based on the stat of getting interviews for 5-10% of the positions you apply for, are you applying to enough positions?   For example, if you have only applied to 3 jobs then you need to increase your applications to increase your chances of getting an interview.
• Ensure your resume and cover letter are customized to every position for which you apply.
• Check and double check all written communication for spelling and grammar mistakes (resume, cover letter, email messages, etc.).  Get someone you trust to proofread and double check everything for you.
• Are you qualified for the jobs for which you are applying?  You should have a 75%-80% match to the position in order to be competitive in landing an interview.
• Are you using networking as your #1 method to look for a job or are you stuck behind your computer?  Be honest with yourself here and re-prioritize how you spend your time if needed.
• Seek referrals from people you know as often as possible – being referred will help increase your chances of landing an interview.
• Do you have a professional online brand?  Employers will review your online information and make decisions on whether to interview you or not based on what they find.  Make private or delete any online information that does not support a professional brand.
• Are your goal job criteria too narrow?  Goal job criteria consist of the criteria you are using to find opportunities.  Can you be more flexible in any of your criteria, potentially opening more options?  For example, review the job titles/level you are targeting, expand the geographic location of your search, apply to different industries or review your compensation expectations to ensure they are in line with industry standards. 
• Review your target list of employers and industries.  Focusing on industries in which you already have experience will be easier than trying to move industries so be realistic about your expectations.

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Door #2:  Are you getting past the first interview at least 50% of the time? 

​If you are finding that you are getting interviews but being moved to 2nd interview less than 50% of the time, then door #2 is where you need to problem solve. 

​Let’s take a look at some possible solutions to move you through door #2.

• Are you presenting a knockout offline and online brand?  It could be something you are doing, or not doing, during the interview, or, some aspect of your online brand that is preventing you from moving forward to the 2nd interview.
• How much interview prep have you really done?  Have you prepared for common questions and behavioral based interview questions?  Check out our Interview to Land course to help with your interview preparation. https://www.eloftcareers.com/elearning-online-courses.html
• Finally, participate in a practice interview, ideally with a Career Professional so they can give you some open and honest feedback on how you present yourself and respond to questions.  Hire someone to help you or check with your local government services to see if there are services like this available to you.

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Door #3:  Are you getting 2nd or 3rd interviews but no job offers? 
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If you are successfully opening door #1 and door #2 – this is excellent news!  It is only a matter of time before you will receive a job offer!  You are almost there. 

If door #3 is where you are stuck, you are best to seek the advice of a Career Professional who has a depth of experience working with job seekers.  Consider the following: 

• Do a very careful review of your online or digital footprint or hire someone to do this for you.  Is there something employers are finding that prevents them from making an offer?  If you find something, remove it or hire a company to help improve your digital footprint.
• Participate in a mock interview with a Career Professional to help you understand how you present yourself in person and your communication style. 
• Review your references carefully and ask yourself “Are all these people my champions?”  If in doubt, hire someone to check your references or consider finding a new reference.

​Be curious, analyze your job search results and continuously navigate challenges to ensure you land as quickly as possible!  Struggling with your job search?  Contact us at info@eloftcareers.com for a free 20-minute consultation to see how we might help you navigate the 3 doors to landing a job!

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