With the rate of those unemployed growing every day, competition for jobs and even interviews is becoming more fierce. In these difficult financial times it is very important that job seekers polish their resumes and put their best face forward. Gone are the days when somebody hunting for a job could simply send out a few resumes and expect a job to fall into his or her lap.
If you’ve spent a good deal of time working on your resume but you’re still not having much luck getting interviews it may be time to take a step back and assess the situation from another perspective. In times like these it is important to have a clear game plan and to stick to it. You need to identify specific companies that are currently hiring, find out what they need and what you have to offer them, and to let them know how it is your skills will add directly to their bottom line.
Customizing your cover sheets and even your resume on a per employer basis is a very good idea. Where you may have had 20-30 people competing with you for each job you applied at before, even a 1% increase in the unemployment rate can make that number jump 5 or 10-fold. Instead of standing out among a couple dozen applicants, you may be competing with 200-300 now. This of course depends on your industry and your location, but there are almost no sectors of the economy which are not being impacted by the recent downturn. While the financial and automotive industries are being hit the hardest today, the loss of that many jobs at one time will have a domino effect. All those unemployed will quit buying products and services that they did previously, which will impact all areas of the economy.
Now is the time to invest in your resume. Go to the library or bookstore and find some books on resume writing. Tighten your belt, actively network among friends and professional acquaintances, and make sure your resume is as awesome as you are. Jobs are more difficult to come by right now, so a positive attitude and determination are more valuable than ever before.
