The Puzzle: Blog

Ask yourself the following questions—and rev up your job search for the fall.

1. What is holding you back?

The first step in figuring out why you don’t have the job you want is understanding what might be holding you back. Are you limiting yourself by being extremely selective? Are you finding that you are lacking some of the qualifications needed to move forward in the search? Are you entering the independent school world for the first time and having trouble gaining a foothold? Identify the obstacles that stand in your way, then do your best to surmount them.

2. How can you be more flexible?

Many candidates begin the job search with firm ideas of what they want their next position to look like, whether in terms of geographic location, salary, responsibilities, or school type. Often, though, the candidates who land stellar jobs end up “compromising” on something—and they find that a job they might not have considered had they been too rigid is the perfect fit for them.

Reassess your “non-negotiables.” Will you really discount all religiously-affiliated schools? Not consider a position at a boarding school? Dismiss all part-time positions, regardless of the associated pros? Consider why your stance is so firm in the first place, and see if you can loosen the constraints you’ve placed on your job search a bit.

3. Where in the process are you losing traction?

Reflect on the past year of your job search. Where do you most frequently lose traction in an application for a given school? Do you receive a referral and send a cover letter only to receive crickets? Are you having trouble moving past the phone interview phases? Have you interviewed on-campus, only to hear time and again that the school has decided to go with another finalist, though you were close?

Identify the point at which you’ve lost your momentum, and spend time this summer honing the skills necessary to get to the next step. If you’re not being contacted by schools at all, look over your file. Is your resume up-to-date and easy to read? Does it contain gaps or red flags that you haven’t addressed? Are you missing basic knowledge or experience that you can fill in this summer? Is your personal statement clear and compelling?

Likewise, if you’re not being contacted for a next-round interview, reflect on your process on the phone. Spend some time practicing your interview skills this summer, and figure out where you could be stumbling.

4. What feedback have you been getting?

The most important piece to solving the puzzle of why you’re not getting hired is listening to feedback from schools and your placement team. Think about any trends you’ve been receiving in your feedback. Have schools been telling you that you are not qualified for the position? Have you received feedback that you could have been better prepared for an interview? Are you hearing that your lessons are well-planned, but you’re lacking a connection with kids? Consider these pieces of information, and ascertain a way to either reassess your own expectations (for example, if you’re dead-set on an administrative job but keep hearing that you don’t meet the qualifications, reassess) or change a part of your process to gain more traction.

Early summer can be a tricky time if you haven’t found that perfect job yet. A job search is only as good as its candidate, though; make sure you are thoughtful and adaptive, and become your most compelling self.

Image credit: Microsoft

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