News South Africa

[BizCareers] What am I doing wrong?

This week we help a jobseeker improve his jobseeking abilities with advice on the application process, job portals to look at, and the interview stage.

I have been job hunting for the past year-and-a-half and with no success. I have a Diploma in Marketing, agency experience and a bit of FMCG experience. I have tried every angle to secure a job with no success. I am currently working for a marketing company, but I feel that the current job I am doing is not in line with the marketing field.

I have sent my CV to professional CV writers, but still no positive results have been achieved. I have attached my CV so you can give me pointers. I would really appreciate your input. - T

Hi there,

Thank you for your question.

I've had a thorough look and you have a very good CV. It's well-written and you have solid education and experience. What you haven't mentioned is what stage you are getting to in the job hunt process. Are you not receiving responses to your CV? Or rather after an interview? You have also not mentioned exactly which angles you've tried. Do these include applying to positions on all the job portals namely Bizcommunity, PNET, Careerjunction, Careerweb, Careers24 etc? If you have done this and not received any replies, then perhaps you're not applying for the right roles. Do they fit with your experience and education? I would really hone in on the positions that require a marketing diploma and two or more years' experience in a marketing role. Although you have had a few more years working experience, these are not marketing specific and therefore will not be taken into account. If you're applying for roles that require five years' marketing experience, your CV may not even make it to the decision-maker. Remember to be realistic and open to new opportunities when applying for a role, even if it's something you had never thought of. The wider you spread your net, the easier it becomes and could lead to gaining excellent experience.

If however, you are having trouble getting past the interview stage, you will need to take a good hard look at how you conduct yourself in an interview. Are you well-presented, respectful, sharp and kind? Do you gain rapport with your interviewer, or are you overcome by nerves. Whatever it is, take a good hard look and perhaps change your interview stance if that's what it takes.

You have a solid two-year tenure in your current role, however if you are not desperately unhappy at the company I would definitely try and increase that number quite a bit. Speak to your manager if you're not happy in your current role and see whether they have another opportunity for you. It is far better to see a promotion on your CV than moving companies. If you can stay for at least another three years, you will gain some valuable credibility on your CV. Remember, the grass isn't always greener on the other side and sometimes it's far better to stay where you are and really learn all you can while you're there.

Best of luck!

Remember to always love what you do!
Juliette

Email your questions for publication on Bizcommunity to moc.ytinummoczib@snoitseuqreerac.

Please note:

  • To see your questions answered in the BizCareers Column, please word your recruitment, job or career queries carefully, paying special attention to spelling and grammar.
  • Answers and advice provided will be based on your questions/industry issues, so the more complete and the more accurate your questions, the better. Answers will only be provided through Bizcommunity.com and not as direct responses from Juliette Attwell.
  • The answers provided to questions submitted by readers will be based on the content of questions themselves, current recruitment practices and current legislation in force at the time of writing, and are intended as advisory only and such advice is provided in good faith.
  • Readers' questions are submitted on the basis that neither Juliette Attwell, Recruit Group, Bizcommunity.com, their management nor associates may be held liable in any manner whatsoever for any consequences that might result from the correspondence following the advice provided. Juliette Attwell, Recruit Group, Bizcommunity.com, their management or associates shall under no circumstances be held liable for any error in responses provided in this column as to the references of the candidate, relating to his or her qualifications, skills, personality and experience; as to the compliance with the various legal and medical requirements relating to the performance, by the candidate, of his or her work, or any consequence whatsoever connected to the use of false/incomplete information.

About Juliette Attwell

Juliette Attwell is Head of Marketing & Operations at Recruitgroup. Recruitgroup has won Careerjunction Recruiter of the Year in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 as well as Fast Growth Business of the Year at the National Business Awards 2014. Juliette holds a Bcom Honours in Marketing Management and is the resident "agony aunt" on the BizCareers Column, she was also a finalist in the Top Young Executive at the National Business Awards 2014.
Let's do Biz