So you have been applying for job after job after job with absolutely no response. Frustrated? That’s putting it mildly. So what is wrong?
1. It could be that your resume is not targeted for the position – i.e. does not contain the keywords from the job posting.
2. The cover letter was too general and did not include the specific requirements from the job posting and was just a regurgitation of your resume.
3. You are simply not qualified for the position – whether under qualified or overqualified.
4. The company is overwhelmed by the number of resumes they receive for each open position and just have not been able to get through all of them.
5. You are only using the Internet for your job search.
6. You are only searching for THE job and not allowing yourself to consider other positions.
7. You have typos or grammatical errors in your resume and/or cover letter.
8. You addressed the cover letter to Dear Sir or Dear Madam and didn’t take the time to try to find out who would be reading it.
9. You priced yourself out of the running by including an unrealistic salary range.
10. You didn’t include quantifiable achievements on your resume to set yourself apart from other candidates.
11. Not following up on your resume.
As a job seeker, you must approach your search realistically. Job boards are just that – boards that post jobs. Think of years ago when jobs were posted on the bulletin board at the grocery store and you will realize what job boards are there for. Don’t think that the job board is “finding” the job for you because it is never going to happen. Certainly you can set up alerts to be notified when new jobs are posted but the job searching is up to you – the job seeker. The majority of job boards are free therefore do not be afraid to create a new job seeker account so that you can create a cover letter/resume that is specific to one job posting. You can also deactivate the account later on.
When you apply for a job, take note of it – print it out or keep a copy of the posting. Then, a week or two later, send a follow up email. I realize that a lot of companies want to remain confidential but believe me – you can research and usually find out what company has posted the job. Then you can find contacts for that company – either by researching on the Internet, at the library or some other source or simply by calling the company and asking for the name of the person who posted the job and their contact information.
The bottom line is that, as a job seeker, you need to be pro-active in your search. Treat your job search as your only job. Set goals and plan your follow ups. Don’t just send out resume after resume after resume and “expect” to get a response. You have to be pro-active throughout the entire process.
By: Nancy Anderson, Staff Writer
1. It could be that your resume is not targeted for the position – i.e. does not contain the keywords from the job posting.
2. The cover letter was too general and did not include the specific requirements from the job posting and was just a regurgitation of your resume.
3. You are simply not qualified for the position – whether under qualified or overqualified.
4. The company is overwhelmed by the number of resumes they receive for each open position and just have not been able to get through all of them.
5. You are only using the Internet for your job search.
6. You are only searching for THE job and not allowing yourself to consider other positions.
7. You have typos or grammatical errors in your resume and/or cover letter.
8. You addressed the cover letter to Dear Sir or Dear Madam and didn’t take the time to try to find out who would be reading it.
9. You priced yourself out of the running by including an unrealistic salary range.
10. You didn’t include quantifiable achievements on your resume to set yourself apart from other candidates.
11. Not following up on your resume.
As a job seeker, you must approach your search realistically. Job boards are just that – boards that post jobs. Think of years ago when jobs were posted on the bulletin board at the grocery store and you will realize what job boards are there for. Don’t think that the job board is “finding” the job for you because it is never going to happen. Certainly you can set up alerts to be notified when new jobs are posted but the job searching is up to you – the job seeker. The majority of job boards are free therefore do not be afraid to create a new job seeker account so that you can create a cover letter/resume that is specific to one job posting. You can also deactivate the account later on.
When you apply for a job, take note of it – print it out or keep a copy of the posting. Then, a week or two later, send a follow up email. I realize that a lot of companies want to remain confidential but believe me – you can research and usually find out what company has posted the job. Then you can find contacts for that company – either by researching on the Internet, at the library or some other source or simply by calling the company and asking for the name of the person who posted the job and their contact information.
The bottom line is that, as a job seeker, you need to be pro-active in your search. Treat your job search as your only job. Set goals and plan your follow ups. Don’t just send out resume after resume after resume and “expect” to get a response. You have to be pro-active throughout the entire process.
By: Nancy Anderson, Staff Writer
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