Few things are as demoralizing as being unable to find a job. You scour job boards, send out dozens, possibly hundreds, of resumes each week, but you’re lucky to even get a single call back. The exhausting search for gainful employment can quickly send anyone into a bad place mentally. Preserving your mental health while unemployed can be done by balancing your job search with meaningful tasks in everyday life. To avoid future disappointment, you should start reflecting on your skills, experience and how you’re presenting your life to would-be employers. You may want to consider these factors when trying to improve your chances to getting hired.
Further Your Education
Nowadays, it’s difficult to qualify for even an entry-level position without holding a bachelor’s degree. You may consider acquiring one in your target field to boost your chances of getting hired. Many companies use hiring software that scans resumes and eliminates ones that don’t include certain criteria, i.e. a college education. There is a lot to consider when returning to school, such as what type of job you’d like, what degree matches your interests and skills and the impact of tuition on your finances for the foreseeable future. Researching how to take out student loans will help you learn the key differences between the different types of student loans, as well as how you can save money by applying for scholarships. If you do decide to go back to school, student loans may also be able to provide you with some supplementary income if decide to draw on extra funds now to invest in yourself later.
Fix Your Resume
Many companies now prefer candidates who provide illustrated portfolios rather than standard black and white resumes. While you should always have a traditional Word doc available, consider sprucing up the design of your current resume. You can also use a resume template for this. Is there a way you could integrate relevant samples? Is the work on your resume relevant to the positions you’re applying to, or have you just listed everything in successive order and hope for the best? Resumes should be tweaked according to a job description. When you line up your skills with an employer’s requirements and responsibilities, you’ll have a better chance of being seen as a high-value candidate rather than another person simply looking for work anywhere they can find it.
Check Your Cover Letters
If you don’t even include cover letters to most jobs, you’re already losing. Cover letters demonstrate that you take a strong interest in the company, and they give you a chance to express a personal interest in the position that a resume can’t convey. If you can, research the hiring manager of each company and address the cover letter to them. Avoid using templates or copy and paste bodies that only swap out company names for others. Don’t go on about how skilled you are or why a company should hire you; cover letters should be about expressing passion and telling employers what you could do for them. Touch upon your talents, but make sure you connect them to the company’s needs.