[FlamesAddiction]

So after about 6 years of being out of the hunt, I decided to get back into it. I am employed still, but there are some things about my situation that I do not like right now and wish to improve it. Plus, I am hoping to relocate to a different city.

I have submitted many CVs and resumes recently, but I am starting to get a little discouraged at the lack of responses. I understand that it is really competitive right now, but there were some positions that I feel that I met or exceeded all the qualifications and received no interest. One of them really ticks me off because I know who they hired and she was under qualified going by their own employment profile. I actually trained her!

A lot has changed in the past 6 years. I remember submitting most resumes either in person or through email back then, but there was usually an HR contact. Now, it seems like everything in this industry (science and engineering) is less personal and through cloud services. The job I have right now, I was able to go to the office and talk to people in person which I think helped. I am more personable live than in print I think. Is this something that just isn't done anymore? I am afraid of doing it because the way the system works now, it almost seems unwelcome. For example, if I found out who the hiring manager was and contacted them directly, would it be frowned upon?

Also, I am starting to wonder if my CV/resume and cover letters are missing the mark. I used a free resume service and they told me that my resume is top notch and they didn't recommend changes. But being free, I am not sure the service is great. They do have a pay service, but they said that I didn't need it. I would be happy to pay for the service if anyone can recommend one geared towards the science and engineering fields. I am mostly worried about my cover letter to be honest. I am good at writing technical reports, but not great at selling. I also had feedback from a placement agency that was fairly positive, but I know sometimes those agencies are just padding their candidate lists for clients.

I am fortunate to have the luxury of biding my time right now, but it's still frustrating to watch good opportunities disappear. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!