Struggling to stay positive.

49 Comments

1. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 2:41PM UTC

   I hear this all the time, unfortunately. Please let me know if you need help with your resume and also interviewing. I have had a lot of success helping others get interviews and land the job they love. I will be happy to help you as well. If you are interested, message me back and I will send you my contact information.

2. MARI S PHONASA, CPSM & CPSDDecember 4,2023 at 2:41PM UTC

   My sympathies to you and I do pray you find something soon. One thing I did when in between jobs was join support groups in your area. My employer provided it with our package, but you might reach out to a recruiting agency to see if there is one in your area. You could bounce your resumes off others for enhancements and continue to build your network.

   Best of luck and happy holidays to you.

3. Afo Ogbeyalu KaluDecember 4,2023 at 2:51PM UTC

   If you've had your resume revamped professionally, and tailor it to each job posting, with still no interest, I suggest that you register with an executive placement agency which specializes in your field of expertise.

   In the meantime, make sure that your resume reflects the jargon and highlights the latest technologies associated with your field. You may also want to consider getting certifications in philosophies, software or systems aligned with the work you do, and add these newfound skills to your resume. There are many free and low cost programs available online. Best of luck!

4. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 4:36AM UTC

   What are the names of some of these executive placement agencies? Not sure what this is.

5. Afo Ogbeyalu KaluDecember 6,2023 at 4:38AM UTC

   Robert Half is a well known one. There are others which specialize in certain fields as well. A google search should point you in the right direction.

   https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/hire-talent/executive-search

6. Colette ColoneDecember 4,2023 at 3:17PM UTC

   It's not just you I am a recruiter and these companies are not hiring candidates. I have talked to other recruiters that promises jobs within two weeks and they also admitted it is getting harder to place people, due to the hiring team at these companies

7. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 7:25PM UTC

   Sometimes I wonder if the jobs that I am applying to will be filled because I will see the same position posted by other agencies or reposted on LinkedIn. Do companies do that because it seems like a waste of time and resources?

8. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 4:30PM UTC

   I hear you!
   I've been here before but don't give up. It sounds like you just need to change up your approach a bit...at least to give yourself a mental break of applying + reaching out only.

   I'd look into virtual or in-person hiring events, job fairs and signing up for professional events/ workshops where you can network & meet people. I know I know that sounds like a lot but it makes a difference in your mental capacity to try leveraging corporate events/social meet ups to gain access to people who can offer you a referral.

   If there's a specific company you're looking into, see if they have any hiring events or informational meetings coming up.

   Also, have you considered applying to a temp agency, being open to contact work, even something part-time/short-term? Not sure of your financial circumstances but sometimes contract work/short-term work can lead to full-time employment too.

   Last thing, I'm not sure what you're looking for, but have you considered looking into a bridge job? It may not be your ideal job/ or next dream job, but it's at least a job that you can use to help you get back on your feet. Use this job to learn, get some income and make your plan for your next role. Again, bridge jobs might be something out of comfort zone but if your position your transferrable skills has useful and valuable, it can help you land that job.

   Good luck to you! Your next job is on the way and everything will work out.

   P.S. Don't forget to make time for breaks and self-care! Rest is still productive.

9. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 7:04PM UTC

   I have not tried virtual or in-person events. I will look into it. Thank you for the suggestion.

10. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 10:35PM UTC

    You're welcome!! Fairygodboss hosts resume drops time to time so make sure you keep check out their events tab. PowertoFly is another org that does a lot of free + virtual career fairs. They have one coming up this week for marketing & sales roles (not sure if that's what you're into). Anyhoo, it could be a good practice run to get a feel for how these sort of virtual career fairs work. Here's the link to Power to Fly to learn more: https://powertofly.com/entry/events/

11. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 4:04PM UTC

    Awesome!! Thank you!

12. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 4:45PM UTC

    I was out of work for 56 weeks mid-2018-2019. I did all that, tailoring resume, cover letter, making sure I was using all the right words. Exhausting. I endured all the recruiters, screenings, several interviews, ghosting. It did feel hopeless. Probably over 90 applications. The job I ended up getting, with responsibilities and $$ too, were exactly what I was hoping for. I used Easy Apply! On a Sunday night. That job lasted 18 months until the company was acquired and gutted. During Covid. I didn't do a lot of job hunting during the 8 months I was unemployed, but again, Easy Apply on LinkedIn! On a Sunday night. That was late 2021. Still working that job. First one was a big impersonal company, the second was a smaller, very friendly company. So weird. Just keep going. It's all you can do. Good Luck!

13. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 7:06PM UTC

    It is exhausting. The rejection is killing my confidence. Thank you for sharing your story. I do appreciate that I am not alone and that you were ultimately successful in your job search. It does give me hope.

14. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 4:34AM UTC

    Thank you for sharing.
    I heard not to use easy apply, but your story encourages me.

15. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 2:16PM UTC

    I've been using linkd in since August. I do get interviews, only one paltry offer. Almost 4 mos out of work. I hope it turns around soon.

16. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistDecember 4,2023 at 7:56PM UTC

    I sorry you're having a hard time with your job search. This is a tough job market, so it's not just you.

    What have you done so far? Where do you have your resume posted and how often are you updating those job board profiles?

    Is your LinkedIn profile filled out? Do you have both "open to work" indicators turned on? Are there any LI groups you could be utilizing?

    What do you do? Are there specialty job boards you could be utilizing?

    Do you have a degree? Are you utilizing your university's job boards and/or Alumni groups including any LI alumni group?

    Also, there is no getting through the ATS. If you are getting no response at all, it is typically your resume and/or the positions you're applying for.

    Personally, unless you are applying for wildly different positions, I don't get the tailoring the resume for every application. Your experience is your experience. If you need to tailor your resume to every application, you probably need to narrow your search.

    Please let me know if you have any questions.

    GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

17. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 4:32AM UTC

    Joan, you always state that you review every single resume for your company, but you are in minority. I recently spoke with someone who is in recruiting and they point blank stated that they review thd top 20 resumes and don't bother looking for the best candidate overall. I wish more recruiters are like you!

18. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistDecember 5,2023 at 7:10AM UTC

    I do look at every resume. The only ones I don't usually look at is if they are from a different country and we are not able to do visa sponsorship for that position.

    I'm sorry the person you spoke with is so bad at their job - it unfortunately happens in every profession.

    I think if you follow any recruiters on LinkedIn, most of them will tell you they also look at all or most all of the resumes that apply to their open requisitions. It's literally our job.

    Just because the person you spoke with only looks at a few resumes (and I don't know how they could know they were the top 20 without looking at all or a lot of the resumes), doesn't mean I'm in the minority.

19. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 3:40PM UTC

    Hi Joan, Answers to your questions:
    Activities so far: I upload my resume every day to LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster and I have daily alerts set up for each. I had a professional resume writer redo my resume then when I wasn't getting hired, I had Indeed review it and they didn't like any of the stuff the resume guy did.

    My LinkedIn profile is complete but JobScan says that it is only 55% searchable so I have been working on it. I do have the "Open to Work" indicator active on LinkedIn. I have it so recruiters and my network can see the green banner on my pic. I do search for jobs in the few groups I am a part of.

    I have 22 years working in Quality in Pharma and Biotech. The last 11 yrs have been in leadership roles. I have looked for specialty job sites and I am finding a lot of old postings.
    I do have a degree from an accredited university.

    I had an auditing certification in my field but was unable to recertify due to the pandemic. I am signed up to take an exam for RAPS: RCC-MDR in June (all of this info is on my resume).

    When I first started this journey I was under the impression that my experience would speak for itself. When I was employed, I had recruiters telling me my experience was rare and called me all the time just based off my LinkedIn profile. But now that I started actively looking, I'm not getting anywhere and recruiters I have spoken to all said I had to tailor my resume to each application to be able to score higher by the ATS.

    I will say that I have had a couple of interviews but none have produced an offer. Not consulting work nor as a FTE. I am friendly, professional, knowledgeable in my field and a good leader of not just projects but of people (inside and outside of Quality Depts.). I don't know what I am doing wrong.

    Please tell me what I need to do better or improve on because I have a mortgage to pay and I am running out of funds.

20. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 1:10AM UTC

    Are any of your skills transferable into another role within pharma? If so, see if you can get a contract position into those roles. You essentially need to have a job to find a job.

21. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 6:23PM UTC

    First, you are doing everything right. Kudos!

    Because you are a senior executive, I’m wondering if you’ve tried a more personalized search relying on your industry connections?

    Do you belong to any professional associations? If yes, is there a directory of members that you can access to facilitate your networking activities?

22. AnonymousDecember 4,2023 at 8:54PM UTC

    Try using ChatGpt to not only tailor your resume to a specific job but cover letters, sample assignments and homework.

    It's free, super easy and worked well for me and my network.

23. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 1:16PM UTC

    I have used Chatgpt quite a lot and GrammerlyGo. But that does make me ask this question:If a cover letter is not required for the application, should you spend the time writing one anyway?

24. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 4:16PM UTC

    Again use the job description and ask ChatGpt to write a cover letter. These letters take the tool less than 60 seconds and they are so good. No big deal if you don't want a cover but I tend to use them if there is the ability to upload one during the application process. I had 2 hiring managers say that their first round reviews are of the cover letter submission. If that passes review then they went to the resume which was surprising to me.

25. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 5:10PM UTC

    Wow!! I will start doing that. As a previous hiring manager I never cared about cover letters because they can and (now due to AI are) written by someone else. So it isn't a good representation of the candidates ability to write / communicate. But based off of what you just said I will do it now!! Thank you!

26. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 8:40PM UTC

    It's a quick way to summarize and connect the dots of your skills and experience to the exact requirements of the role. It's a short cut that might get you to the next step of the review process.

27. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 6:09PM UTC

    I’d say No, unless you can write an incredibly strong cover letter.

28. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 6:08PM UTC

    Caveats on ChatGPT: it could introduce errors. In addition, some of ChatGPT’s writing is very generic. If you use ChatGPT, make sure that you proof the results very, very carefully.

29. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 8:28PM UTC

    Chatgpt is only as good as your prompts and content you provide for it to use. It's amazing but not human (yet :-))

30. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 1:26PM UTC

    People are not hiring right now and if they are they are being very selective....and the ones that are currently employed are at the top of the list for these opportunities. My advice, find a bridge job such as something in retail, a restaurant or a contract/consulting position in your field while you continue to look. Network with people so that you can be a backdoor candidate and bypass the ATS.

31. GirlBossanova934974December 5,2023 at 1:50PM UTC

    I have been looking for work for the same amount of time. I am getting plenty of responses but no offers as of now. Probably 25 plus interviews in that time. A few second and third rounder interviews. Had half a dozen interviews this month. Secret? I gave up on LinkedIn in August. I have been using LinkedIn for over a decade and that platform is just not competitive anymore. Way too many applicants for too few jobs. Your chances are SLIM. I went to Indeed and I am getting plenty of responses. I put in 3-4 applications per day. The pipeline gets full and then the calls come. Try the small to midsize companies. They are still hiring. These big companies? NOT SO GOOD. Too much bureaucracy aka they move like snails. Try Government jobs as well. Just go to the website of the city, county, and state. Plenty of jobs being offered AND NOT a ton of applicants. It is all about applying for jobs with FEWER applicants. The odds are much more in your favor.

32. ShannonDecember 5,2023 at 3:09PM UTC

    Thank you for this response. I have been using Glassdoor, Indeed and LinkedIn and all of them seem like there are tons of applicants. I am also finding that there are positions posted on these websites that are not posted on the company website. One I just found today was posted on 08/23/2022.

33. GirlBossanova934974December 5,2023 at 9:01PM UTC

    Many many Indeed job postings do not show up on the company's website. Stick to smaller companies on Indeed and you will get you plenty of good leads.

34. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 1:59PM UTC

    Same. Last day was June 30, I've applied to 150+ jobs and gotten 3 interviews.

    I've been putting examples of my work abilities (graphs, some short code) on GitHub.

35. BAGADE SREEDIVYADecember 5,2023 at 3:29PM UTC

    I feel you. Same with me. 4 months of non-stop applications, reaching out to people on LinkedIn and yet no progress. I am starting to doubt my abilities and keep wondering if I am good at anything.

36. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 4:02PM UTC

    I feel the same way. This has not done my self-esteem any favors. But in those weak moments when I feel hopeless, I remind myself of all of the stuff I have accomplished over my career, the people I have met and worked with... the stuff I have learned and been able to teach others. It is all valuable and I stop obsessing about my current predicament (for a little while). :) All of us have a lot to offer!! The trick is finding a company who sees me as the best candidate in a 30 min interview where I get 10 mins to convince them I am awesome.

37. AnonymousDecember 5,2023 at 6:03PM UTC

    Take time between now and the end of January to do as much temp or volunteer work as possible this is the dead zone of hiring as most companies have been putting headcount on hold or rushing to end of quarter deliverables financially and hunkering down for the holiday season and vacations for their employees who want leaves now. Then you can come back fresh mid Q1 and be ready to go full stop! The search times now are super long but don't let this time of year drag your spirits down just know it is like that everywhere.

38. Heather (she/her)December 6,2023 at 1:53PM UTC

    I am so sorry you're dealing with this. I'm hearing this more and more across all of my network, and it's so frustrating. Maybe look into working with a placement agency or recruiting firm?

39. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 5:58PM UTC

    It can’t hurt to send your resume to recruiters/placement agencies active in your industry. If you are a fit for a job they are trying to fill, you are in luck. Otherwise, your resume will be placed in the recruiter’s database.

    For more personalized support during a job search, try a career coach.

40. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 2:04PM UTC

    I have accepted a bridge job that I really don't want. The pay stinks, but as my mother used to say - it's better than a sharp stick in the eye. I'm mainly taking it for the health insurance as I have health issues and I'm 64 years old. I'm hoping it gives me time to figure out some type of semi-retirement in the next year or so. This horrible job market is not spoken about in the media and won't be - it's an election year. I will say a prayer for you and wish you the best. As for LinkedIn - useless. There are so many scam jobs there, I don't know why they allow it. I've lost respect for them.

41. Anita SatkiewiczDecember 6,2023 at 8:20PM UTC

    I am praying with you!

42. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 2:21PM UTC

    goggle ATS resume suggestions.

    they will give you an idea of what might be keeping your résumé from being delivered to the parties that review them. I’ve read about this in the past, example , highlighting of any kind, icons of any kind but doing that might give you an upper hand on changing some things that the ATS is very sensitive to.

43. Tanya R.December 6,2023 at 3:06PM UTC

    I'm in the same boat as you. The ghosting is real and unneccessary. This is the second time in 15 months I've been laid off. I found my most recent job through a recruiting agency (the job listing caught my eye, I didn't know it was posted by an agency until they contacted my for interview). I've had my resume rewritten once and wondering if it needs more work. One tip I've received is to include on your resume keywords of skills the employer is looking for (get from the job description). Hope this helps and best wishes to you.

44. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 5:50PM UTC

    1)Upgrade your networking, if possible. Can you meet hiring managers by attending industry events or leveraging personal ties (colleagues, friends)?

    2)Make sure your resume contains the keywords that will help you get through the ATS. You can use software to identify the correct keywords from job ads. There are a number of software programs — here are a few and you can find more online: https://jobscan.com; https://skillsyncer.com, https://writesonic.com

45. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 7:11PM UTC

    I follow the "Life after Layoff" youtube channel. Recruiters get flooded with applications, and this youtuber is a recruiter, so he has advice on how to stand out.

    I feel your pain. I was laid off in October

46. AnonymousDecember 6,2023 at 9:36PM UTC

    I love his channel!!

47. ChrishoggDecember 7,2023 at 1:49PM UTC

    I obviously don't know you or your situation, but:

    1) In my view, tailoring our resume for each job applied to is a huge waste of time and is ineffective ... much better to have a specific role in mind, and only be aiming at that one thing, with a standard resume to support that effort.

    2) With one position as a goal, spend 80% of your time and energy networking and informational interviewing, and 20% applying to your chosen role.

    3) Suggest first The Job Closer, and second The 2-Hour Job Search (library), by Dalton

48. Review MisterDecember 8,2023 at 2:48PM UTC

    Continue to be positive. When you're at the age range between 20-35, finding a job is going to be difficult... it's actually normal... Lack of experience is usually always a considerable factor... Look again at the job(s) you're applying too and incorporate some of the ad's wording into your resume...

49. Kathleen SullivanDecember 10,2023 at 9:33PM UTC

    It is hard, I went through something similar a few years ago. I changed my approach by having one on one meetings with people I knew and asked them for other people for me to meet. It can take forever but in the end it was worth it.