Questioning my abilities

Question

I was laid off of work almost a year ago. I decided to take some time off for myself and enjoy a little, which I did and loved every second of it. About 5 months ago I knew I needed to start looking for a job and assumed within a month or so I could land a job. I hold a MS and have a successful track record and I am sending out resumes all day everyday; jobs I am qualified for, over qualified for, under qualified for and nothing. I am not sure what else to do. I have simplified my resume and still no hits on it. Any suggestions are welcome!!

SShep · Answer

I've said this elsewhere, but when you apply for a job on a website, most resumes are submitted through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). This software scans your resume for matching phrases and keywords and sends those with an 80% 'match' to be reviewed by humans.

If you aren't customizing your resume to fit the specific keywords / skills of the job posting, you sadly won't stand much of a chance. It doesn't matter your actual experience - beating ATS software is a game you have to play to get your foot in the door for an interview.

There are free tools you can use to compare your resume to a job posting (I also sometimes create word clouds of the posting vs my own resume to look for gaps). One that gives you a free scan is https://cvsaviour.com.au/free-resume-job-match-check/

I also recommend having your resume reviewed. There are likely a few local places that will do this for you for a fee, as well as many websites who will. Here in Portland, I often see resume review sessions posted on sites like Meetup.com and Linkedin, where you can sit with recruiters and get feedback. That was a game changer for me.

Good luck!

GinaPer · Answer

Thank you so much for sharing this!  I am currently in a similar situation due to a re-organization that occurred about a year ago. While I knew finding another career might be somewhat challenging I never thought it would be like this.  This process has really left me questioning everything about myself and has impacted my confidence.  It's nice to know I'm not alone so again, thank you...and we'll get there eventually.

gayle.kinney · Answer

I know exactly what you are going through as well.  I am in the same boat right now.  Though I have received some calls to interview but can't seem to get past the salary discussion to make it to on onsite interview.  Best of luck to you!

GirlBossanova710634 · Answer

I know exactly what you are going through.  Someone shared a resume template with me that really made a big difference.  Once I started using it I began getting interviews within a week or two.  I shared it in a post this week, if you are interested.  And, just like Sara said, edit your resume each time to include keywords specific to that position from the job description.  Good luck!

Alice Johnson · Answer

I love all the advice above so I will keep this short.

Be kind to yourself. 1 month is not a long time. It took me 3 months, another friend 6 months, and a different person 7 months. Its a very competitive job market, and just because you arent hired yet does not mean you arent qualified. The job you are looking for will find you. :)
Good luck!

Afo Ogbeyalu Kalu · Answer

I agree with the advice posted regarding the tracking software, and would like to add that the job posting notices are chock full of the keywords programed into the software. So you may want to start by comparing the words and phrases used in the job posting notices with your resume.

Anonymous · Answer

Have you considered PathForward?

Stephanie Brown · Answer

After 21 years with the same firm, six as upper management, our company was taken over and my position was eliminated. I have been sending out resumes, talking to recruiters daily and nothing. I never thought at 50 I would feel this way but I honestly think I’ll never get hired again.  I think it’s my age.   I had one interview with a firm that the HR director (we both have the same first name)told me I would have to go by a different first name since she couldn’t have someone else in the office with her name.  The hiring manager called me an “older worker” and I was definitely younger than he was. I didn’t get the job...not that I wanted it.  It’s so frustrating!  I would love to start my own business just so never again will I answer to anyone else and have the threat of being fired.

Anonymous · Answer

I certainly know how this feels I was at my previous job for 18 years before my job was eliminated.. my resume looks like an 'entry level' resume even though it was written by a professional placement company! I've had a few people tell me to highlight my accomplishments but honestly these are very few considering I had a huge list of responsibilities that were hardly noticed by others unless I was out of the office.. my accomplishments were for projects & other things I did for internal groups I was a part of that didnt relate to my job.
Any suggestions on how to 'polish up' my resume that tells a story of my tenure?

Questioning my abilities

Share your insight

Browse recent posts