I am going to tell you a secret. You may think the interview is all about you. Actually, the interview is all about the employer.

In 2017, The Gallup Organization found that 85% of employees worldwide were not engaged in their jobs. In the US, that number was slightly better with 70% of employees not feeling engaged at work. Why is this happening? It happens, I believe, because very few of us are strategic about our careers. But you can be if you get honest with yourself.

Sometimes it is not only what you say but how you say it. Style often plays just as an important role as substance. Yet, job seekers often do a poor job of assessing how they come across to others.

I answer three questions about the job search process.

Terrible questions are those that show ignorance, laziness or just do not put the job seeker in a good light. Often these are questions that either could have been answered with a quick internet search prior to the interview or those that indicate the individual is only asking from the lens of how does the job benefit me.

In order to get back on the path of job search success, you need to analyze your job search activities and figure out what is not working and why. While it is easy to blame others for your lack of success, the majority of the time the issue is you and how you are conducting your job search. As Albert Einstein famously said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

How can you use your job search time more efficiently? Everyone only has 24 hours in their day. Each of these hours is precious. Once that time is gone, there is not getting it back. Therefore, using your time wisely, especially when it comes to a job search, is so important.

When you start looking, potential employers will want to have a date from you as to when you would be available to start. If you cannot give them one, it makes the decision to bring you on much harder for the employer, as you have added a level of risk that most employers do not want to take on. Without a specific date when you will be settled and available for work, the employer cannot do their labor planning appropriately.

As a career coach, I look at a thank you note as one piece of your marketing package (including your resume, portfolio, etc.). You want to market yourself in a positive way to the hiring team. Your thank you note is often the last interaction people in the hiring team may have with you. I would encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity.