I can relate... i spent exactly 2 years un/under-employed.
The position I'm in now was application #118 (out of 138).
A few things that helped me (and admittedly I spent months in frustration saying almost verbatim what you've shared):
- Make a modular cover letter. I would have a standard opening section, then 2 or 3 paragraphs of examples geared towards the particular position (pulled from 10 well-written examples i kept on file) followed by a personalized concluding paragraph (figure about 50% similar to other applications). This way I could have a well-tailored cover letter without taking 3 hours to prepare it.
- In my opinion, your Cover letter should describe the benefits your employer will receive from you, rather than just what you are capable of. An example from one of my Covers:
Quote:
|
You’ll be confident walking into a meeting with the Board of Directors or a key shareholder knowing that the number’s I’ve prepared will be accurate, key risks will be identified, and a compelling narrative highlighting upside opportunity will have been developed;
|
- I began sending a paper copy of my resume and cover letter directly to the hiring manager. With a bit of googling/linkedin scanning you can often find the name of the hiring manager. My response rate was 3x better with paper resumes rather than just the online systems.
- I read Cal Newport's book
So Good they Can't Ignore You. Figure out what you are better at than anybody else (or at least in the best 5% globally) and then develop a way to demonstrate it credibly. I got certified as an Excel Expert by Microsoft and then created a
youtube channel providing tutorials to other people preparing for the exam. I'm sure it helped in my interview when the hiring manager asked if i could perform a particular skill and I responding that yes i can, and that I actually have a video online where i teach that same skill to others. But whether it is youtube, blogs or otherwise - find a way to share your expertise.
- I took the Alberta Government's
resume writing class and found it surprisingly beneficial. Not as much for the resume tips, but there was a lot of focus on understanding how online screening systems work. They pointed out
www.jobscan.co which i found was a great resource on 'gaming' the online system a bit.
Anyways, i know there are few things more frustrating than looking for work in this environment. I had many dark days. Best of luck to you.