So you’ve been looking for a new role in your professional career and you’re hitting a wall. If you’re applying for job after job online and not even getting an interview, then you should know that it’s probably not you… but the system. We’re going to let you in on a little secret… applying for jobs online is like playing a slot machine at a casino. The odds of you “winning” or getting an interview or even the job are slim to none… like at the casino. When the odds aren’t in your favor, why waste your time? Don’t believe us? 

Well, here are the reasons that applying online won’t work more often than you think it would. We’ll also explain why your time is better spent working with professionals with direct experience in your profession such as Apogee Resources Group to find the right opportunity for you versus applying directly to a company on-line.  This also includes staffing agencies with a team of “headhunters” who never spent a day actually working in your profession that also posts a lot of positions on their websites and various job board that create false hope.

1. When You Apply Online the Decision Maker May Never See Your Resume

Every job has someone that you’ll end up reporting to. When you apply for a job online, that person may never even see your resume. Often times, the decision maker is far removed from the actual posting of the job. They’re not filtering through the resumes and scheduling job interviews, someone in HR is. This person may even quit or not be at the company when you end up going in for your interview. The process of applying blindly online can often take longer so things can change at the company during the process.

2. Your Resume Often Gets Lost in the Shuffle

When you apply for a job online, you’re throwing your resume into a giant bin of other resumes. Often times, job posts have certain keywords that they’re looking for within your resume. If yours doesn’t contain the specific keywords, then your resume will get tossed into the “do not review” pile. When applying on a career site, you’re putting in work to submit your resume. This is ultimately wasted if you don’t have 1 or 2 words on your materials that would “qualify” or make you acceptable for the job. Seems silly, right?

3. You May Get Disqualified by Something as Silly as Formatting

Resume sorting software on career sites can disqualify your resume for mere formatting issues. This can disqualify you from a position that you would otherwise be great in. These factors are often input into this software by someone who doesn’t know the inner workings of the accounting and finance worlds. In this scenario, your resume won’t even be seen by anyone who has the knowledge of what the role will be doing in-depth.

4. If You Get an Interview, You May Find During it that the Job Isn’t What it Seemed Online

So you got the interview, you’re in right? Wrong. Just because you have the interview doesn’t mean you’re going to want the job based on what you learn DURING the interview. Often times, when you go in for the interview you’ll learn of variables that will make you not even want that job. The interview (and taking time off from your current job) will have been a giant waste of your time. A true strategic resource in your career advancement has direct experiences in your profession and now utilizes their expertise in your profession to help others in the profession. 

A strategic partner utilizes their direct experiences in your profession to most effectively gather and understand the most important and “critical” details of a job to then help you assess the opportunity beyond what you see in a written job description before you commit to an interview. You’ll then know whether or not the investment of time to interview for a role is a good investment of your time up front before committing to an interview. We can help to assess and ensure that the job you’ll be interviewing for is in line with what your career goals are.

Common Issues That Often Come up During an Interview:

· The salary is not in line with your expectations

·The title and responsibilities don’t line up where 75% of your efforts may be on the two or three bullet points of a job description that is the least appealing to you

·The person who you would directly report to just left the company, and you won’t get to meet who you’ll end up working for during the interview

· Several people in the role you’re interviewing for have quit in the past year due to the organization’s culture, a difficult boss, lack of job security, and/or a number of other variables

5. Why It’s Beneficial to Work with a Professional Services Firm When Looking for a New Role

When you work with a recruiting firm whose entire team possesses direct experiences in the career opportunities that they are representing to you such as Apogee Resources Group does, you’re getting a true strategic career partner and resource. We truly know your profession, will listen to you, and can help you thoroughly assess every potential opportunity. We are 100% focused on your success and look for career advancement opportunities that align with your interests and overall career aspirations.

Learn more about the importance of building a strategic partnership with a firm that comprises of a team of professionals who have worked directly in your industry such as our accounting/finance team and why to avoid “headhunters” at a staffing agency by reviewing our website.

In part, a great strategic partner such as our team will be sure to do the following:

• Help you to make sure that your salary requirements are in line with what the company is offering for the position’s salary range
• Make sure that the responsibilities listed for the role are in line with what you’ll be doing in that role on a day to day basis
• Get you in front of the decision makers for that particular position at the company
• Get you an honest answer on what the culture of the organization is like
• Help you to best assess and understand what your work/life balance will be at the organization
• Assist you in understanding what the opportunities are for growth within the company
• Many other variables to help you assess the company and overall opportunity that you cannot see by simply applying to a job posting directly or through a “headhunter” from a staffing agency that is trying to hit their own quota or metric versus a focus on what is in your best interest.

Ultimately, applying for a job online is a lot like going into the casino and playing the slot machines. You’ll get teased, but you’ll most likely never win the jackpot. When you’re looking to get a new role, make sure that you’re continuing to do a good job in your current role and that you’re also maintaining your personal life.

This is where a strategic partnership with a professional services firm that has an entire team of professionals with direct experiences in your profession adds tremendous value to your career advancement search. We’ll help maximize your time in your career change efforts. Our team can help you to pinpoint opportunities that will lead you to the right career advancement opportunities for you.

At Apogee Resources Group, we are your career advancement solution. Schedule an initial meeting with our team, our goal will be to listen to and understand your professional experiences to date and where you want to go in you career. We’ll help you get there by ensuring that the next step in your career is the right opportunity for you. Let us help point you in the right direction to get you on the path to a successful, enjoyable long-term career!

Feeling like you’re stuck in a rut at work? Are you over the minutiae of the day-to-day grind in your current role? You’re not alone. Many professionals have reported that they are either frustrated or unhappy in their current job role but unsure or unwilling to leave. If you’re questioning whether it’s time for you to look for another opportunity, then look for any of these 5 signs to see if it makes sense for you to move on.

1. There’s No Room For Advancement

If there aren’t any opportunities for growth in your current role, then that’s a red flag that you need to start looking for a new job. When you commit time and energy to a company that’s not interested in advancing you professionally then you’ll end up denying yourself and your career the growth and development it needs.

If you’ve been in the same role for awhile, you may also now be overqualified for the work you’re doing. If you’ve outgrown your position, it’ll show and feel that way. Don’t stay stuck in a position where you’re not being developed or constantly pushed to the next level.

2. The Work Feels Meaningless To You

How you feel about the work you’re doing can impact your mental well-being. If you’re feeling unhappy, bogged down, depressed or bored most of the time, then how is the work you’re doing giving you purpose? If you feel your work isn’t honored  and you find yourself daydreaming about being elsewhere, then your work isn’t satisfying you.

If you don’t feel like you love what you’re working on anymore then you can’t thrive at work. If your values don’t align with the company your working for or the mission they’re hoping to achieve then you won’t be passionate about the work you’re doing. You can’t succeed at work if you don’t believe in the organization you’re working for and what they’re putting out into the world. If any of these questions get you thinking, then it’s time to look for a job that’s going to give you purpose and joy.

3. The Environment is Toxic

A negative work environment can wreak havoc on your professional and personal life. We spend so much time at work and there’s no reason to stay in a workplace that makes you feel unhappy or uncomfortable. If you’re stuck with coworkers who complain and a boss who doesn’t treat you well, then it’s affecting your work environment. Most of the time, these environments don’t change unless the people in them do. A negative workplace atmosphere can ruin any passion you may feel for the work you’re  doing.

Your job is comprised of many factors including:

-The team that surrounds you.

-Company leadership

-How your company treats its employees

-The outcomes that the company is moving towards

-The growth potential for you in the company

If you feel that any one of these factors isn’t what you’d like it to be, then it can cause you to feel negatively towards your work environment. This is a clear sign that it’s time to seek a new role and a more positive work environment.

4. You’re Not Learning Anything New Anymore

Feeling bored at work? Well learning new things is highly correlated with happiness according to the Humboldt Foundation . When you’re learning new things, you’re more able to seek out future goals and feel empowered to strive for bigger and better things. If you’re feeling excited about the premise of learning new things and feel that you haven’t at work in a long time, then a new job is just the thing your brain may be craving.

5.  You Don’t Want To Go To Work

Your body can tell you things that your mind is unwilling to admit. For instance, if you’re having trouble sleeping, feeling upset or suffering from back pain, could those problems stem from your job? What your body could be saying is, “I don’t want to go to work, I don’t like it.” If your job stresses you out daily, then it’s not worth it. A little stress now and again is okay and understandable but if it’s a constant, then the job is hurting your health and putting you in a position to fail. You should never sacrifice your health in any way for work.

You can also tell if it’s time to leave your current role if you’re always chasing Friday. If you spend your Sunday evening dreading Monday, then there’s something wrong with what you’re doing. A job should give you purpose and excite you, not cause you unhappiness. We get it, a lot of us don’t want to go to work on a Monday, but when it turns into absolute dread, then it’s time to think about your exit strategy.

One last sign you’re ready to leave your job is that you’re reading this article. If you clicked on this article, then somewhere in the back of your mind, you may be feeling an unease or unhappiness about your current job. Job hunting can be time consuming and scary, but you don’t have to go it alone. Contact us today and we’d be happy to help you get started and guide you towards a job that will be perfect for you, after all our focus is your success!