Written by You know your job is in jeopardy. You’ve either been told directly or you can read the obvious signs. There have been cutbacks over the quarter: closer scrutiny of expense reports, a compensation freeze, all contractors were let go, the leadership team is spending more and more time together. Now your manager isn’t talking to you as often. And, when she does, it’s short and very business-like. Maybe there’s just nothing to talk about now, and nobody is interested in chatting about the weekend when things in this state. No one wants to be seen as someone who isn’t busy.
Time to hit the job boards. No sense in delaying the inevitable. 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 case scenario is that you won’t lose your job. Other firms are making profit, growing, even expanding. Why should you just sit on the sidelines?
Now… you are spending all of your spare time at the PC, surfing the internet, browsing the job boards, and applying to open positions. You threw yourself at this assignment with a passion. You have applied to about 30-40 positions and have received… nothing from a real live person. You’ve received the obligatory, “Thanks for your application” responses and even a postcard from one firm. But, not a single person has called or emailed in response to your job submissions. You even called a some of the organizations 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 if you are qualified for any open positions.
This is for the birds. You’re tired. No, not tired; exhausted. You are not getting enough rest. You’re grumpy and irritable, certainly not at your best. If it is this obvious (and how could it not?) you are just making yourself an easy mark. Maybe you are aiming too high. There would surely seem to be more openings if you just lowered your sites a little. Maybe you should be willing to relocate. Or you could take one of those out of state Monday through Friday positions.
So, within a few days, that’s what you are doing. You are a job application machine, applying to almost any position that sounds like something you’ve either done before or thought about doing. You’re willing to completely sell out 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, an ponder if you could do their job better. Wondering if you could manage more than one job in order to make ends meet. You would be working fewer hours than you are working now between your day job and your job search. And you wouldn’t have the stress.
Stop! What’s the problem here? Why can’t you get an answer to your applications? This doesn’t really make sense. You might have overestimated your own marketability, but not to this extent. Just a few months ago you felt confident and safe in your abilities. You were making a significant contribution to your team, to the organization as a whole. Customers sent you accolades thanking you and your team. You got a great performance review last year; you’ve always received great reviews. You’re still the same employee, aren’t you? So, what’s different? Why do you feel like you are just putting your resume in the shredder?
Well, here’s the thing. The market has changed dramatically since your last job search, so you must change your approach. 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 job ad 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 organization has software now that handles job applications. Applications are presented on a computer screen to a screener or the hiring manager before even being printed, and only the best (or most interesting) ever get more than 5-8 seconds of anyone’s attention.
It makes little difference if you are the most qualified candidate for a position. 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… you won’t get the job.
What opens the door is your resume cover letter! If you have a very few seconds to catch someone’s attention, it’s going to be with your cover letter. You probably have a standard cover letter that you’ve massaged here and there for specific opportunities, 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 with every job application.
A good cover letter has a specific structure and each piece has a purpose. If you’re missing a key component, your cover letter and resume are not doing their job, and you are not going to get the response you are looking for. All you want is a chance to speak to a real person, 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 choice is yours… stay the course, or try something new. What is the definition of insanity?
Check out our website for help 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 advice 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.
