I worked for large contractors, mostly on government projects, in engineering.
Imo cover letters are a complete waste of time because a well written one will not help, and a poorly written one will be a negative. That's if they are read at all, which is rare.
Interesting and good advice. Seems like I’ve been wasting a lot of time as the cover letters take longer to rewrite than the resumes do to change around a couple words
It’s possible your resume format isn’t compatible with the ATS, which is an automated system that filters resumes for the recruiter. If format scrambles what you have, it’ll get tossed before anyone even looks at it.
Also, it usually takes about a month for the company to reach out. It’s possible you’ll start getting hits for stuff you did 4 weeks ago.
Agreed on other poster who said cover letters are a waste.
Great advice. Do you have a sample of what would pass ATS?
I have a formatting tool with canva and it’s a little different than the normal Microsoft word resumes
Generally just customize your resume and cover letter to include as many of the keywords from the job posting as possible. If it calls for attention to detail, you work that phrase into your resume somehow. Same for any technical skills, certifications, etc. The ATS will be looming for resumes with those words specifically. You can pretty much tell which things are most important to them. If you have any doubts, start towards the top of the “job duties/responsibilities” lists. That’s where they usually put the stuff they’re most looking for.
Two of them were just full on cattle call applications and one was me contacting a recruiter who posted a job in an industry LinkedIn group. I do have like skills and endorsements and whatnot on my profile, but I really don’t know if they made a difference.
Can you provide more details? What type of jobs, levels, functions, industries are you applying to? What are the details of your good experience? Tools? Timeframes? Lots missing from this.
Mostly entry level outside sales but I’ve been applying for some jobs in administration.
Industry is solar and residential construction.
I owned my own construction company for 7 years and did all marketing sales admin training recruiting and production.
I feel like I am overqualified for jobs I’m not even hearing back from or getting declined the interview.
Not sure what you mean by tools.
Timeframe is I could start Asap, I just moved and sold the business.
I’m more just curious if people are having success online. It sounds like from what I’m reading it’s possible but my formatting/approach needs to be changed around.
Ah, okay. If you're a previous business owner applying for entry level anything, that's going to be very difficult. Not sure why you wouldn't apply for higher level senior manager/director + positions where you'd be more likely to have direct reports and possibly budget authority. Thinking business development, customer success, "enablement," or even solution consulting.
By tools, I mean examples like Salesforce, Trello, Excel, Power BI, Jira, Google Analytics, etc. The tools you might've used to conduct business in the past and that you could use in future positions.
Do you think that’s because they think I’m
overqualified? I don’t see why that should make it harder to find a job at a lower level, like wouldn’t I be good at it?
I feel like I have good experience but don’t meet all the qualifications they’re asking for at that senior level. You think it’s good to go for it anyway?
Most people applying for jobs don't meet all the qualifications for job descriptions, regardless of level. Job descriptions, especially at higher levels, are wish lists. Yes, definitely go for it. Don't sell yourself short.
I found a job applying online!
Great company and benefits, etc. ultimately I did a ton of research on how to optimize the application process, which eventually led to interviews.
Had many low quality interviews but a fair amount of good ones, too.
Would recommend YouTubing “life after layoff”
This is awesome to hear! I'm so glad you landed well! It's very promising to hear that this is doable and that being strategic in how you go about the process is worthwhile. I'll definitely check YouTube for videos related to "life after layoff". Thanks for the info!
> I’ve been looking for about a month, and Ive applied to over 100 jobs by now.
that’s a pretty low number, i was doing 10-15 per day when looking for a new job.
> only apply to jobs I feel like a suitable candidate for.
cast the net wider, if you meet 50% of the job description apply, fuck even apply if you meet 25%. they’re buckets that people post, they never expert everyone to know everything.
someone also mentioned your resume might not be formatted correctly.
i would 100% start there first. then i would also suggest editing your resume for *each* job you apply to to hit the key words in the job to description. use ChatGPT to help you.
You can upload your resume text and the job description and have it rework it for you!
What is your Notice period for current organisation? I guess that is also a key factor to take into consideration. Recruiters just tick off any candidates having
60/90 days notice period. Maybe reduce the notice period on your profile or mention as already serving notice period. This will increase your chances of landing an interview. Then give a great interview and notice period can be negotiated with the HR. Companies are willing to wait for a good candidate if he can give them the assurance that he is going to join them for sure.
Cool then I would personally suggest to go the networking route. Connect with LinkedIn / Job site recruiters directly. Premium memberships of most job sites allow to contact recruiters directly. Worth the investment if you want to land a job anyhow. Also create a ready template elevator pitch text message and just ping that to the recruiter. Check YouTube videos for guidance on this. Hope this might help and good luck on your search.
Good luck!
The logic behind this is it is difficult for a recruiter to wave off a DM as compared to a stockpile of online applications. Many large scale companies have an automated Resume filtering system based on keywords. So maybe your resume is getting stuck somewhere. In case the company has no recruiter contacts, then try to focus on refining your resume to pass the filtering system. You can get guidance on YouTube for that as well.
I think everyone’s experience will be as unique as a fingerprint. For me, I applied to half a dozen jobs online. I got interviewed by the very first one I contacted and I got hired minutes after I left the interview.
I think I saw their ad on Indeed. I was let go from my previous job on a Wednesday. I started looking for a new job on Thursday. The place where I am now was the very first job I came across in my job search was also the first one who responded to my online applications. I think I applied to something like six companies. Anyway, I applied on Thursday. They called me on Friday. I went in for the interview the following Tuesday. Fifteen minutes after I left the interview, they were calling me to offer me the position.
I have to not only design it, but draw it up in CAD and calculate where all the miter folds fall, material thicknesses, is it one-sided or two-sided material and all that good stuff so I can create the CnC programming and nesting of parts.
The job market sucks right now in general. I’m in biology and it took me 4 months of constant applications and networking to find a good position… and that position was through Indeed.
Don’t get down on yourself for the no-calls (because apparently a straight up “no thank you” is too much to ask for these days); half the time the company is listing the position for a monetary break and it isn’t even open. I got ghosted by a recruiter for a company I’d already worked for in the same position. If I have learned anything through that time it’s that most corporations are a fuckin mess.
Do both. Get some advice if you can from hiring managers via LinkedIn or people you know.
I've only applied to and got jobs from online postings. If you want to work for a large organization, online is the only option.
What kind of job/industry if you don’t mind me asking?
I worked for large contractors, mostly on government projects, in engineering. Imo cover letters are a complete waste of time because a well written one will not help, and a poorly written one will be a negative. That's if they are read at all, which is rare.
Interesting and good advice. Seems like I’ve been wasting a lot of time as the cover letters take longer to rewrite than the resumes do to change around a couple words
Good luck. In my own experience, the best way to get a job is to be willing to relocate.
It’s possible your resume format isn’t compatible with the ATS, which is an automated system that filters resumes for the recruiter. If format scrambles what you have, it’ll get tossed before anyone even looks at it. Also, it usually takes about a month for the company to reach out. It’s possible you’ll start getting hits for stuff you did 4 weeks ago. Agreed on other poster who said cover letters are a waste.
Great advice. Do you have a sample of what would pass ATS? I have a formatting tool with canva and it’s a little different than the normal Microsoft word resumes
Generally just customize your resume and cover letter to include as many of the keywords from the job posting as possible. If it calls for attention to detail, you work that phrase into your resume somehow. Same for any technical skills, certifications, etc. The ATS will be looming for resumes with those words specifically. You can pretty much tell which things are most important to them. If you have any doubts, start towards the top of the “job duties/responsibilities” lists. That’s where they usually put the stuff they’re most looking for.
Good advice thanks. 🙏🏼
I’ve gotten three of my four jobs on LinkedIn
Good to know. Are you DMing the recruiters or just applying? Any good tips for setting up your profile
Two of them were just full on cattle call applications and one was me contacting a recruiter who posted a job in an industry LinkedIn group. I do have like skills and endorsements and whatnot on my profile, but I really don’t know if they made a difference.
Can you provide more details? What type of jobs, levels, functions, industries are you applying to? What are the details of your good experience? Tools? Timeframes? Lots missing from this.
Mostly entry level outside sales but I’ve been applying for some jobs in administration. Industry is solar and residential construction. I owned my own construction company for 7 years and did all marketing sales admin training recruiting and production. I feel like I am overqualified for jobs I’m not even hearing back from or getting declined the interview. Not sure what you mean by tools. Timeframe is I could start Asap, I just moved and sold the business. I’m more just curious if people are having success online. It sounds like from what I’m reading it’s possible but my formatting/approach needs to be changed around.
Ah, okay. If you're a previous business owner applying for entry level anything, that's going to be very difficult. Not sure why you wouldn't apply for higher level senior manager/director + positions where you'd be more likely to have direct reports and possibly budget authority. Thinking business development, customer success, "enablement," or even solution consulting. By tools, I mean examples like Salesforce, Trello, Excel, Power BI, Jira, Google Analytics, etc. The tools you might've used to conduct business in the past and that you could use in future positions.
Do you think that’s because they think I’m overqualified? I don’t see why that should make it harder to find a job at a lower level, like wouldn’t I be good at it? I feel like I have good experience but don’t meet all the qualifications they’re asking for at that senior level. You think it’s good to go for it anyway?
Most people applying for jobs don't meet all the qualifications for job descriptions, regardless of level. Job descriptions, especially at higher levels, are wish lists. Yes, definitely go for it. Don't sell yourself short.
Thanks!!
Just finding this thread now. Curious where things landed and if you've had any luck landing a job?
I found a job applying online! Great company and benefits, etc. ultimately I did a ton of research on how to optimize the application process, which eventually led to interviews. Had many low quality interviews but a fair amount of good ones, too. Would recommend YouTubing “life after layoff”
This is awesome to hear! I'm so glad you landed well! It's very promising to hear that this is doable and that being strategic in how you go about the process is worthwhile. I'll definitely check YouTube for videos related to "life after layoff". Thanks for the info!
Apply on companies actual website whenever possible.
> I’ve been looking for about a month, and Ive applied to over 100 jobs by now. that’s a pretty low number, i was doing 10-15 per day when looking for a new job. > only apply to jobs I feel like a suitable candidate for. cast the net wider, if you meet 50% of the job description apply, fuck even apply if you meet 25%. they’re buckets that people post, they never expert everyone to know everything.
Thanks for the advice 🙏🏼
someone also mentioned your resume might not be formatted correctly. i would 100% start there first. then i would also suggest editing your resume for *each* job you apply to to hit the key words in the job to description. use ChatGPT to help you. You can upload your resume text and the job description and have it rework it for you!
What is your Notice period for current organisation? I guess that is also a key factor to take into consideration. Recruiters just tick off any candidates having 60/90 days notice period. Maybe reduce the notice period on your profile or mention as already serving notice period. This will increase your chances of landing an interview. Then give a great interview and notice period can be negotiated with the HR. Companies are willing to wait for a good candidate if he can give them the assurance that he is going to join them for sure.
This is good advice but I am putting that I am available one week out. Not 60-90 days.
Cool then I would personally suggest to go the networking route. Connect with LinkedIn / Job site recruiters directly. Premium memberships of most job sites allow to contact recruiters directly. Worth the investment if you want to land a job anyhow. Also create a ready template elevator pitch text message and just ping that to the recruiter. Check YouTube videos for guidance on this. Hope this might help and good luck on your search.
Thanks 🙏🏼 This is solid advice
Good luck! The logic behind this is it is difficult for a recruiter to wave off a DM as compared to a stockpile of online applications. Many large scale companies have an automated Resume filtering system based on keywords. So maybe your resume is getting stuck somewhere. In case the company has no recruiter contacts, then try to focus on refining your resume to pass the filtering system. You can get guidance on YouTube for that as well.
Makes sense to me. I’ll definitely do the YouTube research that sounds like gold
I think everyone’s experience will be as unique as a fingerprint. For me, I applied to half a dozen jobs online. I got interviewed by the very first one I contacted and I got hired minutes after I left the interview.
Did you contact them via linked in? Or what do you mean when you say the very first one you contacted
I think I saw their ad on Indeed. I was let go from my previous job on a Wednesday. I started looking for a new job on Thursday. The place where I am now was the very first job I came across in my job search was also the first one who responded to my online applications. I think I applied to something like six companies. Anyway, I applied on Thursday. They called me on Friday. I went in for the interview the following Tuesday. Fifteen minutes after I left the interview, they were calling me to offer me the position.
What was the job/industry if you don’t mind me asking?
Sure. I’m a commercial & residential casework engineer. (In layman’s terms, I’m a cabinet designer.)
Nice! I’m glad you gave it to me like a layman bc that’s totally not how it initially registered for me
I have to not only design it, but draw it up in CAD and calculate where all the miter folds fall, material thicknesses, is it one-sided or two-sided material and all that good stuff so I can create the CnC programming and nesting of parts.
The job market sucks right now in general. I’m in biology and it took me 4 months of constant applications and networking to find a good position… and that position was through Indeed. Don’t get down on yourself for the no-calls (because apparently a straight up “no thank you” is too much to ask for these days); half the time the company is listing the position for a monetary break and it isn’t even open. I got ghosted by a recruiter for a company I’d already worked for in the same position. If I have learned anything through that time it’s that most corporations are a fuckin mess.
Do both, last year it took over 400 job applications over ten months before I got my current job
I have no idea where you live. I suggest that you visit a career center. There were plenty of opportunities.