[GreenLantern]

I am in a similar position to you FA and I've also been frustrated with how things works these days. My first job I got that led me into this area of work I went and dropped off a resume and talked to the person doing the hiring. Now that was about 6 years ago as well and it seems really hard to be able to do that these days. I have applied for quite a few positions with a few specific places and I am just shocked at the lack of response. One of the places I even applied for what would be considered about 2 steps below my experience and still didn't get a call back.

I did meet with a friend who had a resume format he had paid for (in Calgary, I forget the name of the company I could ask him though) and I basically just copied this format to update my own. I think that helped because I fired off both copies to HR friends and they agreed the second copy was a big improvement, but still the call backs aren't flowing in.

I am interested to see the advice in this thread, sorry I can't add more. I am also in a similar field, having a M Sc with mostly research background over engineering and industry though. It is a real tough go for this field right now, especially here in the prairies. Everyone I talk to in the research world says they are all waiting to see what Trudeau does about the grants he promised.