Job Hunting? Here Are a Few Tips
I saw a post on Linkedin. The author was whining about an employer asking for a cover letter. The person had sent a resume to apply for a position and admitted (with a sigh) that a cover letter was not provided.
Several people commented. One said that employers just want you to suck up to them and tell them how great the company is and why you want to work for them. One said that sending a cover letter shouldn’t be needed. It continued…Bla Bla Bla.
I commented. Many people send the identical cover letter for every job they seek. Your cover letter is your chance to show that you have thought about the position. You link what the position requires and connect the dots between the requirements and your experience on your resume. Don’t expect an employer to go through hundreds of resumes to figure out that you are the best. Sell yourself. Your cover letter should say this is why you should hire me. If you can’t do that, stop wasting everyone’s time.
Finding a job can be tough. I know. It is not going to get easier. You may soon be up against a lot of former federal employees. You can send in a lot of electronic resumes, and they are often being read by bots looking for certain keywords. You might not even have a chance to provide a cover letter. If you do, do it right. This is your chance to sell yourself.
Consider Doing Something Different
If you’ve been unemployed for a long time, is it time to rethink? What can you do differently? What are your interests? What are your strengths? What can you do for someone that would give them time to do something else? Could you get some new training? There are many courses available online.
Many people do things that they don’t like to do. If you can show someone that you can do those things and free them up to do something else, you have the basics of creating a job.
Do a life review. Look at your resume. What do you enjoy that isn’t even on the resume? Do you have an expertise that you could either use or train someone else? Could you be a consultant? Could you work for someone else as a consultant instead of an employee? There is a tax advantage. As a consultant, you pay your own employee taxes. As a consultant, you do not get unemployment. Your contract is simply not renewed.
Those are a few tips. It is difficult to stay positive when you are constantly faced with rejection. You might find it helpful to help someone else. It can be amazing how helping someone else can lead to inspiration or a new opportunity.