A job hunt is filled with all sorts of twists and turns, which can make you feel like you’re on top of the world, or at the bottom of the pile. But aside from how you progress within the recruitment process, there are other things you might find much more annoying – like glitches on a website, not hearing back from an employer, or the waiting period between an interview and hearing back.
Recently, we surveyed over 300 jobseekers to find out what they found most frustrating about their job hunt. Jobseekers who visited InAutomotive told us what made them tick, which we’ve recorded for you to see.
What we asked
1. ‘What do you find most frustrating about your job search?’
57% of candidates said not hearing back about a job was the most frustrating part of their job search. While it’s expected that employers will receive a number of applications for one advertised job, it can leave you feeling quite deflated if you don’t hear back about a job – regardless of the response.
21% said the waiting period between an interview and being contacted about it was most frustrating, while 14% said creating a CV was the most important part. Creating a standout CV is essential if you want to progress in your job hunt. So understandably, putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is one of the more time consuming tasks of your application. Again, candidates who have applied for and attended an interview with a company found frustrations in how long it takes to hear back post interview. Similar to the previous question, not hearing back can play with your emotions, but after investing so much time into prepping for the interview and travelling to see the employer, you could argue that this is a bigger inconvenience, after dedicating more time and energy towards that job.
7% of those surveyed said a poor recruitment process was frustrating. This might include taking a long time to contact suitable candidates (they may have found another job by this point), advertising a poor job description, or taking a long time between interviews to respond.
2. ‘What’s the most frustrating part of applying for jobs online?’
28% said a job advert that doesn’t have enough information about the role was frustrating. Finding a job you are interested in with little or no information regarding salary, company culture, benefits etc. gives you little to dream about, therefore making professionals less likely to apply for the job.
A further 28% told us a huge list of minimum requirements on a job description was offputting. In contrast to the previous point, too much information can make a candidate feel unqualified, when in fact you might be perfectly employable for the role. You might also feel intimidated by the amount of information included.
17% said a job advert lacking information about the company was frustrating, while a further 17% said a job ad with no salary band listed was a no go.
This resonated with a separate survey we completed recently, where we asked 300 automotive professionals whether having a salary band on a job advert put them off applying for a job. 40% of automotive professionals said yes.
Continuing on with our results, 6% of jobseekers concluded that spelling errors/grammatical errors were a turn off on a job advert, suggesting an unprofessional approach towards the job advert. 6% said other. Job adverts that are rushed and riddled with errors will not attract talent.
3. ‘What’s the most frustrating question you’ve been asked in an interview?’
The most popular answers were:
- Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
- Name a time you’ve been proactive
4. ‘What’s the most frustrating part of writing your CV?’
29% of professionals surveyed said writing a personal summary was the most frustrating part of putting a CV together, while a further 29% said the time it takes to write a CV was frustrating.
18% of those surveyed said formatting a CV was frustrating, while 12% said writing about their skills.
6% said writing the education section was frustrating, and a further 6% said writing the experience section was the most exasperating part of writing their CV. If you do need a bit of extra help writing your CV, visit our hub of CV tips here.
Looking to jump start your job search? Why not download our job hunting guide below? It’s filled with tips and advice to help you towards getting your dream job.
