Top 5 Least Productive Ways to Find a Job

With five applicants for every job opening, it’s a feat to generally get a job interview nowadays especially if you are unemployed due to jobless discrimination by some companies who look at people who are unemployed being less productive as the reason why they are such.

This treatment is degrading because it brings your spirit down instead of bringing you hope that every one has the fair chance of landing a job.

Little that we know that there are actually some methods that we thought would work for the longest time, but were not aware that they are more or less a waste of time than we might think. Here are some of the things that might actually create a shift in your job-hunting strategy as these 5 least productive ways of finding a job are revealed.

Mailing out Resumes

Mailing out resumes to prospective employers is probably the most convenient way of looking for a job but then convenience doesn’t always equate to success. In fact, only a meager 7% success rate is achieved using this method. Some studies have shown that only 1 out of 1,470 resumes actually results into a job.

There are actually tons of resumes piled up on every company job openings and sometimes, you might even think why these companies don’t even try to call you up to inform you if they received it or not instead, you end up waiting in vain for nothing.

Well, it’s so easy for them so shred those bundles of resumes anyway on a daily basis so why bother wasting your printer’s ink on something that might less likely work.

What pays off using this method is only when your resume is handed over by your friend, who highly recommends you, to his employer. This means that you’re just an inch away from getting into the company’s doorstep.

This works most of the time since this type of recommendation is a quick pitch especially if the person who hands down your resume to his boss is an asset to the company.

Answering Ads in Professional or Trade Journals Related To Your Field

Niche jobs are mostly found on these types of ad placements. Basically, the more you are experienced in your field, the more likely you are to find the suitable job for your qualifications however, as these jobs are more specialized, most of them may require you to relocate thus, it should be something you’re open into considering before you apply.

Using the Internet to Find Jobs

This may be odd despite all the hype that the “internet is the future”, well, this might be true at some point but not in all occasions. Chances are, only 10 out of 100 turn out to be successful using this method. In these trying times, the more it gets worse and you can simply end up wasting your time in front of a computer gaining nothing.

The more you use it as some studies have shown, to find a job, it relatively adds to lower self-esteem and depression mainly because people expect much on the results because of the power of the internet but it’s the other way around.

You may have actually read a lot of great testimonials about people who were able to land good jobs through the internet while this can be true, this doesn’t always happen to everyone else. Think about it.

Responding To Local Newspaper Ads

This method can really be old school but then only 5-24% success rate is attributed to applicants who have used this route and land a job. Newspaper ads may be great for average income jobs but not for high income ones as companies normally don’t plaster these types of openings in the newspaper as they feel that they needed something more sophisticated than someone who simply responds on ads.

While newspaper ads can be a great source of stop-gap jobs or filler jobs (or a job needed just to earn something no matter how you liked it or not) until new opportunities come to your liking, newspapers are not much or a main source as they are becoming extinct however, over avenues could actually provide more relevant information such as your local craigslist.org listings.

Asking For Help from Private Employment Agencies or Search Firms

Private search firms normally provide job placement services and most of which operate as business for being head hunters. Most if not all are under-advertised jobs or contracted jobs by head hunters for some companies’ employment requirements however, you must also know if they are going to charge you a fee in case you get in or will the employer handle the charge to pay them so you have nothing to pay for. This detail is something that you should be aware of in case you end up using this method.

Studies have shown however that only 5-28% success rate is generated using this method of looking for jobs.

There are more ways that have not been discussed in detail above that comprises the least effective ways of finding a job and these includes going to places where employers pick up workers such as union halls. This can be a useful source of jobs too but they are mostly temporary which gives only an 8% success rate. Secondly is taking the civil service exam. This could actually provide you an edge when looking for a job in government agencies but it only has 12% success rate and finally, visiting your local/state employment service office shows only 14% success rate.

This list is not at all intended to demoralize your ways of looking for a job, it only serves as a guide that, while for example, if 10% success rate can be achieved from one job-hunting method, would it be better if you’ll focus more of your efforts on those that actually work? In our upcoming post, you’ll be exposed to which job-seeking methods work the most with higher success rates so stay tuned.