If you’ve been out of work for several months and aren’t getting any interviews–or you’re going on interviews but not getting any offers–you should adjust your approach to job-hunting.
First, reevaluate your resume yourself or consider getting a professional writer to critique it. Make sure you replace expressions like “strong team player” and “possess organizational skills” with strong, active verbs that demonstrate results. Whenever possible, use numbers to indicate performance. Instead of saying “Managed a team of three” say “Managed a team of three employees who interacted with clients and had a 100% client retention rate over two years.”
Include keywords related to your skill set and background, since many big companies use computers to screen resumes for phrases like “analyst” or “financial modeling.” Have a friend double-check your resume for spelling and grammatical errors, and always be honest. “You cannot succeed in this competitive market if your resume isn’t 100% accurate,” says Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, a career coach and former chief operating officer for Merrill Lynch Campus Recruiting.