You know your job is on the line. You’ve either been told directly or you can read the signs. There have been expense restrictions over the past several months: restrictions on travel, a freeze on pay, senior management approval required to use contractors, top managers are spending more and more time behind closed doors. Now your manager isn’t talking to you as often. And, when he does, it’s short and very business-like. Maybe there’s just nothing to say now, and nobody is interested in chatting about the weekend when the business is in this state. You sure don’t want to be seen as not having their nose to the grindstone.
So, you decide to start looking. No sense in waiting any longer. If other employees in your department are released, you will just be competing with them in the job market. It’s best to beat the rush! Besides, why stay? The best that could happen is that you won’t lose your job. Other companies are making profit, growing, even expanding. Why should you just sit idly by?
Now… you are spending your evenings at the computer, surfing the internet, perusing the job boards, and submitting your resume to open positions. You threw yourself at this with a passion. You have applied to about 30-40 openings and have received… not a single response from a real live person. You’ve received the obligatory, “Thanks for your application” emails and even a snail mail from one company. But, not one individual has gotten back to you in response to your job applications. You even called a several of the companies and got the runaroundv or talked to someone that told you the company has received many responses to its ad, and that someone will contact you directly if interested.
This really sucks. You’re tired. No, not tired; completely and utterly exhausted. You are not getting enough rest. You’re no fun to be around, certainly not at your best. If it is this obvious (and how could it not?) you are just making yourself an easy mark. Maybe your expectations are too high. There certainly would be more opportunities if you just lowered your sites a little. Maybe you could relocate. Or you could take one of those consulting jobs.
So, within a few days, that’s what you are doing. You are a job application robot, submitting your resume to almost any posting that sounds like something you’ve either done previously or thought about doing in the future. You’re willing to sell your soul at this point. You have no self esteem left. You are avoiding your friends (your happily employed friends). You start looking at everyone you see in public differently, pondering if you could do what they do better. Wondering if you could manage an additional job in order to make ends meet. You would be working fewer hours than you are working now between your current job and your job search. And there wouldn’t be the anxiety.
Stop! What’s the problem here? Why can’t you get an answer to your applications? This is ridiculous. You might have overestimated your own marketability, but not this much. Just a few months ago you felt secure and confident in your abilities. You were making a significant contribution to your department, to the company as a whole. Customers sent you notes thanking you and your team. You got an excellent performance review last year; you’ve always received great reviews. You’re still the same person, aren’t you? So, what’s different? Why do you feel like you are just throwing your resume out the window?
Well, here’s the catch. The market has changed dramatically since your last job search, so you must change your attack. The Internet has made job openings so much easier to identify than ever before. Just look at how many positions you’ve applied to. A position that might have received several dozen applicants five years ago now receives hundreds or more, depending on the position, the location, and how widely they advertise. Every HR department has software now that handles job applications. Applications are presented electronically to a screener or the hiring manager before even being printed, and only the best (or most interesting) ever get more than a few seconds of the right individual’s attention.
It makes no difference how good your resume is or how well your experiences match the opportunity. Well, it eventually matters, but if your resume doesn’t get read you won’t get a response. And if you don’t get a response, you won’t get an interview. And if you don’t get an interview… hopefully, you see my point.
What opens the door is your resume cover letter! If you have 5-8 seconds to catch someone’s attention, it’s going to be with your cover letter. You probably have a stock cover letter that you’ve tweaked here and there for specific positions, but for the most part, you’ve probably been sending out the same boring (sorry), average, don’t-pay-any-attention-to-me cover letter for weeks.
An effective cover letter has a specific structure and each component has a purpose. If you’re missing one of the key components, your cover letter and resume will miss the mark, and you are not going to get the results you are looking for. All you want is a chance to talk to someone, to explain the value you can bring. You may still not be the most qualified candidate for every position you apply to (there is a lot of good talent out there), but you can improve your odds significantly.
The next step is yours… stay the course, or get some help. What did Einstein say about the definition of insanity?
Check out our website for assistance on writing an effective cover letter.
MyExecutiveCompass is an employment portal dedicated to helping candidates differentiate themselves in today’s difficult market. Candidates can find guidance on how to deal with many job search challenges as well as resume cover letter templates and resume software to make the job search process more fruitful.
