Why your JOB WANTED ad fails.

There’s plenty of reasons why Job Wanted ads fail to get a response, and they usually don’t have anything to do with employers not needing people.  If you can avoid these common mistakes your chances of getting a positive response improves.

1. The Problem. Your timing is wrong. Looking for work in resort towns when the monsoon hits or the ski lifts have just stopped running is not a good idea. Letting potential employees know you are going to leave right in the middle of peak season scares them off too. I’m seeing so many ads saying “Want to tick off my 88 days doing hospitality work in Queensland” at the moment. Employers just assume you’ll be leaving them in peak season, when finding a replacement is nigh on impossible.  The Solution. Commit to the whole season, and apply for jobs when employers have just started hiring for peak times. Employers in the tourism sector typically start hiring 3-6 months ahead of peak season.
2. The Problem. There’s no housing. Finding affordable housing is getting extremely hard in resort towns and more employers are simply not chasing people unless they have stable housing in town. Employee “no-shows”, because they can’t find housing, is a nightmare for business owners. The Solution. If you have secure housing in a resort town, mention this in your very first sentence on your Job Wanted post. If you don’t have secure housing, get some, or look somewhere else.
3. The Problem. Not enough information. I see job ads all the time saying “Any jobs in Town XYZ. Can start ASAP”. Sorry but these posts look so lazy, and employers need more information about you if you want to be taken seriously. The Solution. Tell potential employers more details.
4. The Problem. Your photo sucks. So many Job Wanted ads have photos that completely miss the mark. Here’s a classic example. “Five girls want farm work to get a second WHV in Australia”. Sorry girls, you look great but that’s not want the farmer wants. You’ll get a much better response if you were all wearing high viz work shirts. The Solution. Ask yourself what does a potential employer want, and insert a photo that matches their needs. By the way, this isn’t just a girl thing. Lots of young men attach beer drinking photos to their Job Wanted ads. Sorry guys, unless you are going for a job in a brewery, posting a less boozy photo helps.
5. The Problem. Your photo still sucks. Yes that photo of you and your hound is great, but employers see a photo with a dog in it and they ask themselves “How’s he going to find pet friendly accommodation in a resort town?” The Solution Keep your pets out of your Job and Accommodation wanted posts.
6. The Problem. Social media can be a lousy place to look for work. People post Job Wanted ads on Facebook groups that are filled with scammers and spammers. They also posted Job Wanted ads on sites that gets 100 + posts a day. These ads disappeared down the stream after 20 minutes, never to be read again. The Solution. Create a free profile on www.cunextseason.com and keep it up to date. You’ll be a the top of the permanent database and you can even send it straight to hiring managers who place permanent job ads on our site. Thanks for your time. Good luck, and did anyone notice the subtle ad at the end of this post? Yours in Adventure iain