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3 Surprising Reasons You’re Not Finding The Right Jobs

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It never fails. You apply for jobs, get a few interviews here and there, but something just always feels off. Either the company doesn’t feel like the right fit, or the role (or salary) doesn’t excite you. I’ve coached tons of high-achieving corporate professionals who’ve run into this issue, and it’s tempting to blame it on the economy, the state of the world, or the slow job market. While those things are certainly not helping the matter, there are other reasons you may not be finding the right jobs for you. The good news? Once you fix these things, you can increase your chances of finding and landing a new job that excites you. 

Here are three surprising reasons you’re not finding the right jobs for you:

You haven’t done a career inventory 

You’re driven and motivated to land a new job as quickly as possible, so it makes total sense to jump right into your job search and hit the ground running. But, surprisingly, jumping into your job search without doing a career inventory is one of the main reasons you might be struggling to find the right jobs for you.

Contrary to popular belief, finding the right job doesn’t start with a resume or a job application, it starts with you. Before you can find more exciting jobs, you have to identify what’s missing in your career right now. For example, do you want more leadership responsibilities? Do you wish you worked at a company that values remote work and flexibility? You need to take inventory and consider what you need to thrive in your next role, in terms of the role and the company, so that you can be sure to look for it and find it. Without this step, you can easily find yourself blindly applying to jobs you won't enjoy, simply because they're familiar to you. Or worse, you risk not finding any jobs at all because you don’t know what to look for in your job search.

You’re open but not aware 

If you're constantly saying you're open to new opportunities without any clue on what type of opportunities are actually out there, then that's likely another reason you're struggling to find the right jobs for you. One of my clients Melissa was ready to land a new role, but she was worried, given the economy and the pandemic, that her options were slim. But, instead of just saying she was open to whatever was available, she did the work to become aware of the various roles available that would allow her to leverage her experience and expertise. Doing so, helped her land a completely different position than she had imagined, and her new role still aligns with her desired responsibilities and career goals. Rather than simply saying you’re open, do your due diligence to become aware of what else is out there for you so you can make an informed decision about the right jobs for you. 

You’re doing your job search by yourself

Sure, you might be spending five hours a day on your job search, searching through job boards. But, the reality is, you don’t know what you don’t know. So, even if you put more time into your job search, if that additional time is spent doing the wrong things, then you won’t be any closer to finding and getting the right job for you. 

Instead, you should consider connecting with other like-minded professionals who have already accomplished the career goal you’re seeking next in your career. For example, if you’re looking to transition from the digital healthcare industry to e-commerce, find someone who has made a similar change, and learn about their journey. Connecting with people who have accomplished similar goals will help you discover more opportunities and ways for you to find the right job for you. Even better, consider working with a career coach to help you pinpoint the right roles for you and accelerate your job search. When it comes to finding the right jobs and getting them, gleaning guidance from others can make the process much easier and quicker. 

So, next time you’re tempted to think there aren’t any jobs out there, consider if you need to change your approach to finding the right jobs first. Then, start with fixing these three things.


Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level and secure the positions they've been chasing. Grab her free guide.