You know your job is at risk. You’ve either been told directly or you see the signs. There have been cutbacks over the past several months: limited travel, a compensation freeze, contract employees have been released, the leadership team is spending more and more time behind closed doors. Now your boss isn’t talking to you as often. And, when she does, it’s short and very business-like. Maybe there’s just nothing to say now, and nobody is interested in chatting about the weekend when the business is in this state. No one wants to be seen as not having their nose to the grindstone.

Time to hit the job boards. No sense in waiting any longer. If other employees in your department are released, you will just be chasing the same opportunities in the job market. Don’t get left standing at the curb! Besides, why stay? The best that could happen is that you won’t lose your job. Other firms are making profit, growing, even expanding. Why should you just sit on the sidelines?

Now… you are spending every non-working waking moment at the PC, surfing the web, perusing the job boards, and applying to open positions. You threw yourself at this task with a vengeance. You have applied to a gazillion postings and have gotten… nothing from a human being. You’ve received the automated, “Thanks for your application” emails and even a snail mail from one company. But, not one HR manager or recruiter has called or emailed in response to your job applications. You even called a few of the organizations and got nowhere or talked to someone that told you the company has received a lot of responses to its ad, and that someone will contact you directly if interested.

This is for the birds. You’re tired. No, not tired; exhausted. You are not getting enough sleep. You’re grumpy and irritable, certainly not at your best. If it shows at work (and how could it not?) you are just making yourself an easy mark. Maybe you are aiming too high. There would surely be more opportunities if you just lowered your sites a little. Maybe you could relocate. Or you could sign up for one of those full time travel assignments.

So, within another week, that’s what you are doing. You are a machine, applying to almost any position that sounds like something you’ve either done or thought about doing. You’re willing to completely sell out at this point. You have no self esteem left. You are avoiding your friends (your successfully employed friends). You start looking at everyone you see in public differently, an ponder if you could do what they do better. Wondering if you could manage two jobs in order to make ends meet. You would be spending less time working than you are working now between your day job and your job search. And there wouldn’t be the stress.

Stop! What’s wrong here? Why can’t you get an answer to your applications? This is ridiculous. You might have overestimated your own market value previously, but not to this extent. Just a few weeks ago you felt safe and confident in your position. You were making a significant contribution to your department, to the firm as a whole. Customers sent you accolades thanking you and your team. You got a great performance review last year; you’ve always received great reviews. You’re still the same professional, aren’t you? So, what’s different? Why do you feel like you are just putting your resume in the trash bin?

Well, here’s the thing. The market has changed dramatically since your last job search, so you must change your approach. The Internet has made positions so much more available than ever before. Just look at how many places you’ve sent your resume. A opening that might have received several dozen applicants five years ago now receives hundreds or more, depending on the position, the location, and how widely they advertise. Every HR department has software now that manages their job applicants. Applications are presented online to a screener or the hiring manager before even being printed, and only the best (or most interesting) ever get more than 5-8 seconds of the right person’s attention.

It makes little difference if you have a great resume with all the right stuff. Well, it eventually matters, but if your resume doesn’t get read you won’t get a response. And if you don’t get a response, you won’t get an interview. And if you don’t get an interview… hopefully, you see my point.

What makes the difference is your cover letter! If you have just a few seconds to catch someone’s attention, it’s going to be with your cover letter. You probably have a stock cover letter that you’ve massaged here and there for specific opportunities, but for the most part, you’ve probably been sending out the same average, don’t-pay-any-attention-to-me cover letter for weeks.

A great cover letter has a specific structure and each component has a purpose. If you’re missing one of the key components, your cover letter and resume are not doing their job, and you are not going to get the response you are looking for. All you want is a chance to speak to a real person, to explain the value you can bring. You may still not be the best candidate for every opening you apply to (there is a lot of good talent out there), but you can improve your odds to 1 out of 2 or 3, instead of 1 out of 100 (or more).

The next step is yours… keep doing what you are doing, or do something different. What did Einstein say about the definition of insanity?

Check out our website for help on writing an effective cover letter.

MyExecutiveCompass is an employment portal dedicated to helping candidates differentiate themselves in today’s difficult market. Candidates can find advice on how to deal with many job search challenges as well as cover letter templates and resume software to make the job search process more fruitful.

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