From Unemployment to Interview - Bridging the Gap

Although it is tougher to find a job in a rocky economy, it is not impossible. It does take perseverance, creativity, patience and research, lots of research.

There are definitely job sectors to avoid in this market; for instance, the housing industry is not going to be fertile ground for job seekers. You will need to read the want ads, both in the paper and online. Read the trade or association bulletins to see how the future looks in your field and ask around. If you are currently working, keep your job and be subtle about your intentions to switch positions. If you are not working now, find somewhere to volunteer or work part-time to bridge the gaps in your resume.

Once you have discovered the positions you would like to apply for, it is time to find out more about those companies. Make sure you know what they do, what their goals are and how you would not only fit in, but how you can stand out in a role with them. Your next step is to get in the door for an interview. The only way to do this is to write a resume and cover letter that get you noticed and called.

This cover letter is the most important letter you will write. It has to be the best sales letter ever written with you as the best product ever sold. Honesty, sincerity and accuracy are all important components of this letter. If the company has advertised a position opening, you can bet there are going to be more than a handful of applicants. You are not the only new graduate, unsatisfied, underemployed person out there and they are all doing the same research you are.

That's where your research has to be better. This is where you have to shine brighter and be more interesting and more desirable than any of those other applicants. Yours has to be the letter that gets passed around to everyone in the office because it represents the person everyone is going to want to meet. You need to be the one who gets the appointment for the interview and your cover letter is the key to get you in the door.

With the proper cover letter your r�sum� can have multiple gaps and even questionable work history. But the cover letter that gets you in the door bridges those gaps and answers the questions about prior work experience. Your cover letter sells you to the person who reads it and convinces him that you are the one.