No one likes a job hunt that lasts forever. Most candidates begin to feel disenchanted after the first couple of weeks. It’s fair that say that if you’ve been looking for your dream job for a longer period, you might find it draining to compose enthusiastic cover letters for each position – especially when you have not yet received a positive answer.

There are millions of reasonable reason why you might not have been the right candidate for a particular position. Perhaps the recruiter felt that the conversation ran smoothly with another candidate.

Maybe someone else’s experience was better suited for the role. Perhaps you sent your application too late, and the company had already found their perfect candidate. In fact, more often than not, an unsuccessful job hunt may have nothing to do with you.

But there are factors that are in your control and that, when used incorrectly, could be the reason for your lack of success. Are you wasting time sabotaging your job hunt? Here’s how to find out.  

You don’t pursue a career that suits you

When you write your resume, the purpose is to highlight your experience and skills. However, there is something essential that is missing, and that is your personality. Indeed, a lot of employees end up in a job that doesn’t inspire them, and that doesn’t fulfill their dreams.

This can also weigh down your research, especially if you find it difficult to get excited about the job description. Here’s a spoiler alert for you: You are not looking in the right place for your personality.

If you have a naturally analytical and numerical mind, you’ll find that embracing a data-focused career can be the best for you – from accounting to digital analyst, there are plenty of options to suit your background.

Creative personalities can join marketing agencies, or even start their own thing with a blog. Ultimately, a lot of skills are transferable from a career path to another. But you can’t fake interest!

You don’t know how to juggle work and study

You’ve been trying to improve your resume for a long time, but somehow you can’t quite get yourself to finish your online studies. The drop out rates for online courses are massive, and there’s a good reason for it: People don’t know how to study smarter.

As a result, their academical path becomes a waste of time and money. If you want to move your career forward, you need to understand how to maximize your learning time. For a start, avoid all-night sessions; nobody can keep their focus through a long time.

Instead, manage your studies through short chunks of time so that your brain can process the information. Additionally, you’ll find it easier to set 30 minutes to 1 hour during the day – before or after work.

You are not making the most of networking platforms

Who doesn’t use LinkedIn while searching for their next job? You will find it hard to meet employees who have not created a LinkedIn profile. However, having a profile and making the most of the professional networking platform are two distinctive things.

In fact, setting up a profile is the first step you need to take to leverage your presence. Indeed, you can help yourself by understanding how recruiters use LinkedIn to find potential candidates – and adjust your profile accordingly. Additionally, you can also improve your picture to appeal to hiring managers, and get your connections to endorse your skills.

You’ve burned the bridges with your previous company

What do you do when you quit a company? If you focus your efforts on cutting all connection between you and your former employer, you might be working counterproductively.

Indeed, you never know if you will need to get in touch with the company in the future. You might need references for a future role — if you have damaged your relationship with your employer, you will find it hard to get a reference from them. Additionally, if a recruiter already has contacts within your ex-company, they can get the scoop from their direct source.

You can’t control your nerves

Interviews can be stressful. However, if you can’t keep a cool head, you’re likely to make costly mistakes. For instance, while it’s natural to prepare for an interview, don’t let your answers sound too rehearsed.

It’s important to try to loosen up so that you don’t let show that your answers might be a learned script! Additionally, you should be aware of behaviors that show your nerves, such as clicking a pen or talking too fast.

Pen players are bad interviewees

There is nothing worse than sabotaging your chances. However, once you become aware of the issues in your approach to job hunting, you can correct them accordingly and move your career forward.

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links