Sometimes companies create job descriptions and start interviewing candidates before a budget is approved to actually fill those positions. If there aren't many good matches during that phase, the company simply doesn't fill the opening, and no further resources are spent.
One of our readers asked CAREEREALISM founder J.T. O'Donnell, "How do you find out if an employer has the budget to hire you? I've had interviews where the position has later been dropped."
Use these tactics to find out if the job you've applied for is official yet or not, so you won't waste any more time pursuing a situation that may be unnecessarily tough to handle:
Ask great questions during the interview.
Ask some well thought-out questions of your own after the interviewer(s) share theirs with you. You can change the way the company views you based on the questions you ask during the interview (and potentially after as well).
If you don't ask anything, you won't have the chance to make as good an impression on them through what you know and your work attitude. Any additional information you can give (especially in the form of questions) gives them a clearer picture of who you are, which will give you a much better shot of receiving an offer.
They may do the same thing to you by asking tough questions, but that can be a good thing. Think of your interview as working with them before you're an employee. That will lead to a better relationship for both of you. (It will also let you know whether or not it's the kind of place you'd like to work, because an uncompromising situation isn't the right fit for too many people.)
Ask questions like...
Why is this job being created?
What are the expectations and goals for the job?
Has there been a similar job in this company in the past?
How will this person work with other employees?
Whom will he/she report to?
Are there any tasks that would be shifting from another employee to this one, or is everything that would be done a new action?
If the interviewer doesn't have clear answers for most of those questions, it may not be a definite opening. They may still be trying to figure out if it's worth trying to draft a budget for, let alone how much this position might pay.
Either way, there's a bright side: the process could be window shopping for the future, so if you like where the company is headed but they don't have a position just yet, you have planted the seed of possibility for openings in the future (especially if you can show you've grown since you applied for this opening).
Would you accept an offer?
You need to have a very good idea of whether or not you would accept the position if it's offered to you based on how your interview and other interactions with employees go. If you don't know, then ask more questions or do some more research/networking with company employees if the interviewer is running short on time.
If you've heard firsthand from a few different people what the company is like and you understand where they rank and how their values differ from their competitors, you will have more than enough information to know if the company is right for you. Finding ways to exhibit that effort (like by asking questions in an interview) will show the depth of your interest in being a good fit for the organization.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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