Why can't I find a job? Here's how to change that

Jimmy Bysell:
Why is it that you can’t seem to get a job, even though you’ve applied for countless jobs? In today’s episode of the New in Sweden podcast, we’ll discuss the most common mistakes people make when job hunting, and how to avoid them.

[music]

Jimmy:
Welcome to the New in Sweden podcast. My name is Jimmy, and I work here at Arbetsförmedlingen. With me in the studio is my colleague Pär Axelsson. At the end of the episode, he will give us three tips for improving your job search.

Jimmy:
Pär, have you ever applied for countless jobs without getting any?

Pär Axelsson:
Yes, when I was young.

Jimmy:
You’re still young, Pär. [laughing] But tell us, how was it when you first started looking for jobs?

Pär:
I applied for tons of jobs but got rejected every time. It felt like no one wanted to give me a chance.

Jimmy:
I see. Pär, our skilled colleague Mahmoud has a lot of experience from job searching when he was fairly new in Sweden. He wanted me to share his experiences and insights with our listeners.

Pär:
Okay. How nice of him.

Jimmy:
Mahmoud applied for many jobs but never got an interview. He always received responses saying: “Thank you for your interest, but the position has been filled by another candidate”.

Pär:
How did he solve that problem?

Jimmy:
One day, he took his cover letter with him to Arbetsförmedlingen.

Pär:
What did Arbetsförmedlingen say?

Jimmy:
The employment officer he met with said, “Mahmoud, this is not a good cover letter. You’ve only written about where you come from, your interests, and that you want a job. You need to write a good cover letter and a CV each time you apply for a job”.

Pär:
So, he had a standard letter that wasn’t tailored for each job he applied for?

Jimmy:
Exactly. But he received help writing a new letter and improving his CV. He was advised to read job ads carefully and tailor his cover letter accordingly. He also received help from friends who were more fluent in Swedish and sometimes from his teachers.

Pär:
Did it improve his job search?

Jimmy:
Yes, it did. He finally got his first job interview. But that interview was quite a lesson.

Pär:
What happened?

Jimmy:
(laughs) Mahmoud described it as a disaster. First of all, he was five minutes late for the interview. He didn’t know the name of the person he was meeting and wore completely wrong clothes. He was applying for a job as a nursing assistant at a hospital but showed up in a suit and tie.

Pär:
It sounds like he did everything to not get the job. What did the interviewer say?

Jimmy:
She asked him why he wanted to work there, and he just replied that he wanted a job.

Pär:
That’s not the right thing to say. But Mahmoud learned something from it, right?

Jimmy:
Absolutely. After a few weeks, he called the employer and asked why he didn’t get the job.

Pär:
What did the employer say?

Jimmy:
She was kind and told Mahmoud all the mistakes he made. She said he should write down everything she said, which really helped him in the future.

Pär:
It’s important to ask for feedback like he did, by for example calling the employer and talking to someone who can help. He used his network and showed his application to an employment officer. And he didn’t give up.

Jimmy:
Yes, that’s true. Nowadays there’s a lot more help available. On Arbetsförmedlingen Play, there are many films, webinars, and podcasts you can watch and listen to. You can also search for information on the internet, and these days you can even ask AI for help, right?

Pär:
Yes, of course. If you ask questions to, for example, ChatGPT, you often get very good tips on how to search for jobs. AI is getting better and better at these tasks. But how did it go for Mahmoud? Did he get a job later?

Jimmy:
Yes. With the help of Arbetsförmedlingen he got a job at a hospital for six months. A nurse there encouraged him to study further, and he did. Mahmoud took evening courses at Komvux and later started studying at university.

Pär:
Wow.

Jimmy:
But Pär, how were your first job interviews? Did you make any mistakes too?

Pär:
Oh, I sure did. I wasn’t prepared. I hadn’t practiced interview questions or how to present myself. I applied for the wrong professions and needed to switch trades.

Jimmy:
What do you mean by the wrong professions?

Pär:
I applied for jobs for which I neither had the education nor the experience. At Arbetsförmedlingen, we call that not applying for suitable work.

Jimmy:
Did you make any other mistakes?

Pär:
Yes. I didn’t do enough research about the companies and employers. I didn’t show genuine interest during the interview. I didn’t ask any questions and didn’t ask for feedback. Those were some big mistakes.

Jimmy:
But good insights.

Pär:
Absolutely, they say you learn from your mistakes.

Jimmy:
So true, Pär. Really good tips so far. But Pär, you usually have some special tips to share. How about today?

Pär:
Absolutely, Jimmy. Here are three new tips for our job-seeking listeners.

Pär:
One: The first tip is to practice presenting yourself. Practice common interview questions. Practice in front of a mirror and with family and friends. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become.

Jimmy:
Great tip. What’s the next one?

Pär:
Two: My second tip is to choose a supplier that suits you best when participating in Prepare and Match. The coaches in Prepare and Match can help you a lot with job searching. You can discuss this with Arbetsförmedlingen.

Jimmy:
Smart. What’s your last tip?

Pär:
Three: My third tip is to be clear and simple in your application. Use plain Swedish and make sure to explain what you can do and what you want to do.

Jimmy:
Great tips, Pär Thank you very much. I’m sure they will be useful for our listeners. Today we’ve discussed:
1. Why you sometimes don’t get a job despite applying for lots of them.
2. We’ve covered the most common mistakes people make when job hunting and how to avoid them.
3. We’ve discussed why it’s important to use your friends and contacts to practice common interview questions.
4. And also, why you should call back after applying for jobs and going to job interviews.

Pär:
Yeah. As well as to apply for suitable jobs.

Jimmy:
If you liked today’s episode of the New in Sweden podcast, please subscribe to our podcast and share it with your friends. Also, follow us on social media for more useful tips and updates.

Pär:
Good luck and thank you for listening. See you soon. Goodbye.

[music]

speaker:
You have been listening to the New in Sweden podcast by Arbetsförmedlingen. You can find all previous episodes at arbetsformedlingen.se/play. If you have any questions, tips, or ideas, please e-mail us at podcast@arbetsformedlingen.se. This episode was produced in the winter of 2024.