Q: Lately, I am feeling like a failure. It is the middle of life, and I have nothing to show professionally for all of my past efforts. I have degrees from two prestigious universities and a decade worth of “flat” achievement. I have sent out a ton of resumes, but, of course, no one is inviting me in for interviews. What do you suggest?
A: Your use of the phrase “of course” clues me in to your deep sense of rejection. A resume is a very personal representations of “self,” so it is difficult to send out multiple resumes only to get repeated showings of no interest. This does not feel good.
While I definitely have ideas and direction for a course of action you can take, I want to first mention that current protocol seems to be to NOT acknowledge receipt of resumes. Employers are receiving way too many to respond the way they did in the past. So, it is not necessarily that your resume is being passed over; it could be it simply hasn’t been acknowledged at the beginning stage of a hiring process.
However, given you presented a pattern, I will address your concern from that standpoint. First, try not to take this too personally. We are operating in a new kind of a market. Its shifts and changes are most markedly affecting mid- and senior-level professionals. My guess is that it has been a while since your graduation from college. Know that your personal resilience is probably your current most valuable trait as you move into the next phase of your career search.
Use that resilience to take a few affirmative steps that may yield better results. Try leveraging contacts from your existing networks to get strategic “coffee meetings” scheduled. And, there may be events in your industry directly affecting hiring patterns. These kinds of informational meetings are opportunities to learn more about your industry, its current position in the marketplace and the emerging lines of business.
Second, you may want to update and upgrade key skills. Make sure you have strong technology skills. They are a given expectation these days, and there is little (or no) tolerance for those who cannot master the Internet, social networking, PowerPoint and Excel. If these are areas of insecurity, take the time to boost those skills. As well, if you have never done public speaking, take the time to work on your presentation skills. They will only help you in the interview process and beyond.
If your core skills are a bit dated, seize the opportunity to get current accreditation in your areas of interest. Although a full course of study and degree may not be financially viable at this time, consider doing shorter certification courses that are up-to-date and on-target for your career interests.
Finally, investigate workforce development training options. In many major cities, these offer rich opportunities to enhance skills and get introductions to companies and organizations where hiring is happening.
Contact Karen Alphonse at Karena@execSearches.com or visit ExecSearches.com for more information about our career coaching services.
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Last updated on September 19th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
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