Totaljobs.com > Career Advice > Career Doctor > Why can't I find a job?

Why can't I find a job?

Our Career Doctor, Sophie Relf, receives hundreds of emails every day about work and jobseeking issues. Here she advises a graduate on how to get their career off the ground.

Dear Career Doctor,

I am a 24-year-old graduate who left university two years ago with a degree in geography.

My question to you is: Why can't I find a job? I've tried hard enough and have made over 500 applications so far. I have had only a handful of interviews as a result of these letters that have led to nothing. Am I a freak? I am beginning to despair of ever having a career.

Please help!
A.

Dear A,

You don't say what sort of career you're looking for, which may be the crux of the problem in your job hunt. With thousands of graduates coming out of university every year with similar degrees and work experience, it's natural that some will have more difficulty in finding a job than others. To find out what types of careers you'd be most suited to, take a look at our free psychometric questionnaire.

In terms of writing your CV and making applications, you can find out all you need to know here. I f you'd like to know more about how to succeed at a job interview, our interview advice covers everything from the right things to say through to the right things to wear.

The key thing to remember is that you need to tailor each application you make to the exact job description. In the case of graduates, it's not unusual that you won't meet all the requirements specified, but you should show your willingness to develop your skills to match what they need.

There are a couple of other tactics you can use to get your career off the ground:

• Temporary work - Short term contracts give you a chance to learn a bit more about the day-to-day aspects of the jobs you're going for, as well as giving you more relevant experience to add to your CV. Our Jobs Now section has a list of roles currently available in your area.
• Networking - Many jobs are never advertised so it's worth letting everyone you know that you're on the hunt for a job. You never know who may be able to help out. Industry fairs are also great places to meet people in your chosen sector.

Another method is to go for a more junior role in a company you really want to work for. It's much easier for companies to promote people from their current pool of employees and you'll be one of the first to know when the job you're really after becomes available.

It's important not to become disheartened during your search. The right job for you is out there; you just have to find it. Take a look at our article on job hunt motivation.

Good luck!
Sophie

If you have a question for Sophie, please email career.doctor@totaljobs.com or click here to see if your query has already been answered.

Totaljobs.com > Career Advice > Career Doctor > Why can't I find a job?

Search for a job with totaljobs.com.