The economy is bad and, even as NPR reported this week, the unemployment figures crept back up slightly above nine percent. This comes after months of economists and officials saying that the worst is over. Millions of Americans are looking for jobs where there simply aren’t enough. You may be trying as hard as you can but sometimes your approach could be derailing your efforts. Giving people encouraging advice is good but sometimes-self criticism can be a very constructive tool. There are several common mistakes that people make during their search and interviews that can keep them unemployed.

Waiting for the Job To Come To You?

There’s a lot of competition out there and if you’re not putting in the necessary time and effort, you’re not likely to be successful in your search. You have to make finding a job a job by itself. Your resume may be great and all of your credentials in order but in some areas there are dozens of people for every one job that’s out there. The more you’re submitting the more likely you are to get a call back.

Lack of Method:

You have to develop a system if you’re going to get a job. You can’t randomly search around and apply for a job that you “heard” about. You need to be registering with many different job sites and utilizing every resource available. The Internet is the perfect tool to find jobs but, unfortunately, it’s made it easier for your competition as well. It’s easy to get down if you’re not hearing anything back but diligence is required if you want to get a job.

Unrealistic Expectations:

You need to understand the market and the available pool of applicants, and then you need to ask yourself if you have the skills that it takes to compete. Many people, during the economic downturn, went back to school and got into Doctorate Programs and other fields in order to become stronger candidates. This isn’t to say that you’re not qualified or that you should aim low but there should be a level of realism in the jobs that you’re applying for.

Lack Of Preparation:

Lastly, one of the most common reasons people don’t get the job is because they either don’t interview well or they’re just not preparing beforehand. First impressions are everything and if you’re not taking time the day before and brushing up on a few talking points then you won’t be ready when the time comes. You can always tell when someone is “winging” it.

Check out some of these tips and apply them to your job search. It’s tough to find a job but there are many approaches and reasons why it might not be working out for you. You just have to stick with it and leave no stone unturned.