I have been Job-searching for 6 months.

Anonymous

January 4,2023 at 6:05PM UTC

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I have been Job-searching for 6 months. I am 42, have excellent references and excellent annual reviews for the last 10 years of work. I am friendly and professional. Although I relocated to a small town of 30,000 people (in a sparsely populated state) one year ago, I lived in a city of 2 million people for 20 years and have increased my responsibilities and title. Yet, I’ve received 25 rejections just in the last 2 months. I have applied for jobs at my level, below my level and above. I have applied to jobs via Indeed, LinkedIn, hospitals, construction companies, local and nationwide, etc. When I apply for jobs directly through a company website, I also receive rejections. Or, if I try to follow up on applications, I get no response.

I have even walked into businesses to drop my resume since that’s common where I now live. I mostly hear “I don’t think I can afford you,” just by looking at my resume. The local businesses that have interviewed me wind up offering me a wage I was making 15 years ago - even though housing and cost of living is exactly the same as the city I moved from.

I get recruiters *looking* at my LinkedIn (on rare occasion) who never actually reach out and if I attempt contacting them, they don’t respond. I have friends job-searching who receive messages from recruiters at least twice a week (they’ve shown me) asking them to set up interviews or apply. These friends are at all levels in their career.

I have had help from friends and a previous supervisor to “tweak” my LinkedIn multiple times in different ways to see if that helps. I have a headline that matches my experience, I have added details to the jobs I’ve listed, I have a great summary (so I’ve been told), a former manager wrote me a recommendation on LinkedIn and I even posted that I was looking/open for work.

I *do* start a remote, very temporary (1-2 months) full time job this Friday assisting my friend who’s the ED of a local non-profit. The projects/tasks I’ll do have definitive finish dates and as of now, there’s not funding for a permanent job. While it’s easy to say “a lot of temp jobs turn into permanent positions” the reality is that I must find a stable permanent job.

I really need as much input and help as possible - I would so appreciate any/all of you providing any feedback you can!

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Holly HillJanuary 4,2023 at 8:40PM UTC
1. If you haven't already done so change your address on linkedin and resume back to the large city you came from. I live in CT but have always kept NYC.
2. Go through EVERY SINGLE connection on linkedin and see where they work now. Go to THAT company's website and see what openings they have that might fit and then apply through that connection.
3. Make sure your resume is SEO friendly and filled with all the buzz words that your industry uses
4. Apply, appy, apply..something will work out, promise!
AnonymousJanuary 4,2023 at 9:46PM UTC
Thanks Holly!
This is great advice about going through my connections. Is there a website to find proper buzzwords? Or some other method? I believe I do have the correct buzzwords,, but I’m guessing I actually don’t.
Holly HillJanuary 10,2023 at 8:22PM UTC
Hi!
No websites per say, but maybe go through any online groups that pertain to your work (newsletters ,online magazines, etc.)
I find a free subscription to McKinsey is super helpful and they do a great job covering all sectors in business world.
KarenJanuary 4,2023 at 10:58PM UTC
Sounds like you have been very diligent in your job search and approach. You have been getting interviews, just not the offers you are hoping for. Instead of tweaking your LI, do you tweak your resume or cover letter prior to applying for a position? Are you researching the companies you are applying for on LI? You can always add something about company culture that is relative to your experience or personality on your CL. Does the prospective company have someone in a similar role/department that lives near you that you could invite to lunch or coffee to find out about opportunities at their company? Are there some network events you can attend - local or virtual? What about "trade" networking events for your role or industry you want to work in? Networking is a great way to find a job. Sometimes it is who you know. More than half of my jobs have been because of someone I knew there.
Keep your eye on the target. With each resume you send out you are getting closer to the bullseye.
AnonymousJanuary 4,2023 at 11:50PM UTC
Hi Karen, great questions and great feedback - thank you. I definitely research each company before applying. I’m honestly exhausted with tweaking cover letters for each job - it has become overwhelming since I’ve applied for near 100 positions over 6 months. I haven’t applied to any new positions in the last couple weeks because of this - mentally tapped out.
AnonymousJanuary 6,2023 at 11:55PM UTC
I found a job pretty fast using ziprecruiter.com - that site linked to an application on the company website of the job - I ended up getting. I applied for many that I didn't get or even hear back from but I always customized my resume to put the related details that were in their ad first. I also researched companies on glassdoor.com and addressed a cover letter to insider relevant names I could find. Hang in there it seems like a good match will come to you soon perhaps a remote position that can meet your income needs. Good luck.
AnonymousJanuary 9,2023 at 9:39PM UTC
I don't have any feedback for what you could do differently, but I want you to know you are not alone. I have been experiencing some of the same things and am frustrated as well.
It sounds like you have been doing all the right things. It is exhausting and time consuming I know. Good Luck!
AnonymousJanuary 10,2023 at 4:32PM UTC
On the bottom of your resume, add text that lists every keyword you can think of including titles, skills and descriptors: manager, customer service, leadership, etc. Get creative and include words that don't relate directly to your field. Then, change the text color to white and save. All those keywords will help trigger the HR filtering systems. I did this a few years ago and saw I decent increase in recruiters reaching out.
Give it a try.
AnonymousJanuary 10,2023 at 7:33PM UTC
Omg this is soooo helpful!! Thank you!!
Sabrina CortesJanuary 12,2023 at 3:13AM UTC
I'm sorry you've had such a difficult time in your job search journey.
I'm a professional Resume Writer and I want to offer you a free resume review. If you're interested, feel free to email me at sabrina@writewithsabrina.com. You can also check out my LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinacortes-writewithsabrina/) and message me.
I know you said that you tweaked your LinkedIn profile, but are you tailoring your resume to the jobs you're applying for? From all that you said in your post, it sounds like you probably are, but I want to make sure because tailoring your resume increases your chances of it passing the applicant tracking system's (ATS) scanning process. It also brings your resume to a Recruiters attention when they search the database for the skills and keywords in the job description. Also, the format of your resume may also be hindering your success, as most ATS misread graphic resumes. A plain and simple format is best.
I hope these tips help and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Sending you positive vibes!
AnonymousJanuary 12,2023 at 8:29PM UTC
Hello Sabrina! Yes - I’ll send my resume to you for review! Thanks so much. There are no graphics & I also do tweak it to each job (which is exhausting). I received a tip on how to add key words so I’m going to try that out asap. I’m thinking that what may be the biggest issue is that I’ve been out of work for 8 months and omitted (from LinkedIn) the last job I worked for, because I was only there 4 months before I quit. I felt a 4 month position looks “bad.” I do have a good reference from my manager there.
Sabrina CortesJanuary 13,2023 at 2:00AM UTC
You're welcome, and I'll be on the lookout for it! :)
Yes, LinkedIn can be a little tricky. If your most recent job is in your industry or aligns with your career ambitions, it might be good to include it in your LinkedIn profile. You might consider putting only the years in your employment history though.
AnonymousJanuary 12,2023 at 3:42AM UTC
I am in a similar position. I have been applying for jobs, it can be draining ?, especially the rejection or getting ghosted. I tell myself every rejection is a redirection God has something great. I even reached out on Linkedln, increased my contacts, posting a bit. I used the ATS a free site- resume worded so I am keeping the faith. I also applied on PathForward they have returnship programs check them out. I even asked persons I worked with, to do recommendations on LinkedIn which they did and hard copy. On eventbrite I signed up for a job Forum the Chamber of Commerce. check it out, you do not have to be from Bay Area. I dont know if because I was on a Career pause had my lil one, how come, much of my experience is from the Caribbean as opposed to the US, but its frustrating. I also recently did Project Management through the Mom Project. I also look at it at least I get a response and probably that company is not for me, their loss. Also check out Otta. I tried Indeed, Ziprecruiter. Keep the faith something great would happen, rooting for you. ?
AnonymousJanuary 12,2023 at 8:13PM UTC
I’ve updated my LinkedIn to look just like my resume and even made a (very upbeat and positive) post about looking for work. It got 350 views and not one peep from anyone. I even have written recommendations showing on my LinkedIn. I do not get it.
Mindy ClaggettJanuary 18,2023 at 1:49PM UTC
I know you're probably tired of hearing this, but you have to network, network, NETWORK. When you find a role you're interested in, comb through your LI contacts and try to find connections to that company. Even a 2nd connection could help. Ask your network for intros to folks at that company and use them to help you get your foot in the door. The only way to beat the ATS nightmare is for a direct referral from someone within an organization.
You have to activate your network. Reach out to folks you actually know, ask for a quick Zoom call (or in person coffee if they are local), then meet with them and ask them who else you need to meet with. Get contact info for these new people, and when you contact them, tell them you recently met with Jane Doe and she suggested you reach out to them. Then ask THEM who you should be meeting with. Your time would be better spent working your network than repeatedly applying for jobs.
Personally, as an introvert, I ABHOR networking. It feels disingenuous to me, but it's a necessary evil in today's job hunting process. I was out of work for 6 months and ended up with a networking meeting with my now-boss the same week she had someone turn in their resignation. They were in a panic to replace this person, and while the role wasn't up to my previous level of seniority, my skillset was a match, and I NEEDED a job. That was a Friday -- the team interviewed me on Monday, and I had an offer on Tuesday.
Focus on networking and see where that gets you. Good luck!
AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 6:43AM UTC
I have had similar frustrations. I've had some success getting the door by applying for "new" roles within a company but I'm struggling to close for a variety of reasons. The most current challenge - being offered the role below my stated minimum salary to them. And my minimum is my current salary. It's discouraging to say the least.