Got a fever? Take some aspirin. Sore throat? Perhaps some bed rest will help.

Looking for a job but still haven’t found one? The remedy for this one is considerably trickier.

I’ll tell you one remedy that doesn’t work: Panic and beat yourself up for not getting millions (or even one) job offer. And the remedy where you spend a lot of time hoping, wishing, thinking, and praying that you’ll just somehow, magically land a job without having to network or make phone calls? That doesn’t work too well, either.

If you’re looking for a remedy to unemployment, the answer isn’t always as simple as taking a couple of aspirin. In fact, one of the reasons why it’s so hard to figure out our individual job search challenges is because we haven’t always diagnosed the problem correctly.

In other words, if your job search isn’t going along as smashingly as you would have liked, stop for a minute and take your job search temperature. Give yourself a moment to slow down, get honest with yourself, and really figure out what isn’t working for you. When you assess and diagnose your situation accurately, you can pinpoint the specific job search areas you need to work on, and better identify solutions for doing so.

How do you take your job search temperature? Review the past six months (or year) of your job search life and consider where you’ve most often stumbled.

If you’re like most other job seekers, your temperature reading probably revealed one of the following diagnoses:

Diagnosis #1: Time

More often than not, students or professionals in transition will diagnose ‘time’ as the problem to their job search situation. Quite simply, these folks simply haven’t put in enough of their time on a regular basis to make any real progress.

This could be because they put all of their time into schoolwork, their current jobs, or other extracurricular activities. It could also be because they dread the job search and have procrastinated and put off the necessary tasks of working on a resume, networking, practicing interviewing skills, and so on.

In some cases, job seekers underestimate how long a job search can actually take, particularly those who are transitioning from one career into another, or for those who seek professional opportunities outside of their home countries.

Consider the remedy:

Unfortunately, time management isn’t one of those issues that we can slap a band aid on to fix. We each have 168 hours in a week to spend however we choose. Do you choose to spend a chunk of that time on your job search and career…or not? The choice is yours, and nobody can make the job search a priority – a top priority – but you.

For students who are struggling with managing classes, team projects, activities, and a job search, I will add this: Don’t get sucked in to caring so much about getting straight A’s that you neglect the real reason you came to school – to get a great job.

Obviously, we’re not knocking the importance of learning and studying and academic achievement while you’re in school. But if you’re finding that everything else comes before the job search, or that you’re so busy doing schoolwork that you can’t spare a few measly hours a week for your job search, take a deep breath and remind yourself why you are spending $(insert six figures here) to get that degree.

Diagnosis #2: Interviews

While time management is an issue we all struggle with, your temperature reading may reveal something different. If you’re like a lot of job seekers, you might discover that you are putting in the time, but you simply aren’t getting selected for a lot of interviews. We all run into this issue on occasion, but if you haven’t landed a job interview since Bill Clinton was in office, this could be your temperature talking.

Consider the remedy:

First, I’m going to guess that your resume needs some work. After all, it is your resume’s job to get you the interview. Your resume has to blaze – it’s got to be sharp. Use strong language to sell your accomplishments, use numbers to quantify those accomplishments, and don’t be afraid to be bold in that cover letter.

What if you’ve got the perfect resume and you still aren’t getting interviews?

Consider your channels of distribution. For example, are you only applying for jobs on campus or online? If so, you’re making things tough on yourself, because when you only apply for jobs through these passive channels you’re competing against lots and lots of people for a single opportunity. Those are tough odds, where a fantastic resume may get buried or lost in the clutter.

The solution? Get out from behind the computer screen and start networking. When you network in a way where you are focusing on giving (not taking) and building long-term relationships (not one-time meetings or phone calls), you’ll begin to meet people who can put your resume in the right hands. (For more on relationship-building, see our article, “Down with Networking.”)

What if you have the perfect resume and you are networking day and night – and you are STILL not getting interviews?

If this is you, I want you to consider the types of jobs for which you are applying. Are you applying for everything and anything out there– even if you really don’t have the background or experience? Or, consider the fact that you may be overshooting, applying for jobs for which you really aren’t qualified. For instance, you may be seeking opportunities with top tier consulting firms (who typically consider everything about your academic, professional history) despite the fact that you’ve got low GMAT scores. If this is you, ask yourself if you applying for jobs for which you are legitimately qualified and where you really have an honest shot.

Diagnosis #3: Offers

As many of us have experienced, it is one thing to get the job interview, but it’s entirely another to land an offer. This is the trickiest job search diagnosis, because for each of us reading this article, there’s probably a different reason why we may have not received a job offer after interviewing for a position. Still, let’s take a shot at it.

Consider the remedy:

First, you and I know that you’ve got to really, really show your enthusiasm, expertise, and confidence during the interview. To do this, you MUST practice interviewing. Do this often – especially if you’re interviewing for jobs in a language or culture different from your own.

Whether you’re a student or professional in transition, it’s easy to videotape your mock interview and then review it with a professional. Get feedback on your responses, on your outfit, on your mannerisms. Some of us do this once or twice, but I’m going to suggest you do this a few times. You will be amazed at how much you can improve.

What if you’ve practiced and practiced and you’re still not getting offers?

Make sure you’re really able to talk someone through your resume in a way that doesn’t just give a timeline or facts but sells who you are. Have your answers to key interview questions rehearsed (questions like, “Take me through your resume” or “tell me why you’re interested in our company and this position”) so that you are constantly showcasing your expertise and enthusiasm throughout your responses.

But what if you are a very, very strong interviewer and you’re STILL not getting offers?

If you think this is you, you’ve got to ask for feedback from the recruiters or hiring managers that interviewed you but did not offer you jobs. Not everyone will share this with you, but you’ll be surprised at how many candid answers you will receive.

While I was getting my MBA, I was turned down by GE for a job opportunity. Naturally, I was convinced I was sheer perfection in the interview and couldn’t fathom why I didn’t get a job offer. So, I contacted the hiring manager who interviewed me and was told that I had “poor eye contact.” Ouch….but if I hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have known, and I worked on the eye contact. Do yourself a favor and ask, so that you aren’t making the same interview mistakes over and over.

Taking your Job Search Temperature isn’t always easy, but it is necessary. After all, if you don’t know what’s wrong, how can you fix it? Figure out what you need to fix, and get better soon.