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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]When applying for new jobs, do I have to do cover letters? It’s been a long time since I’ve looked for a job. [/quote]

a bad or neutral cover letter typically can hurt more than even an excellent cover letter helps, so in the default so not do one.

if there is a job you Really Really want, but feel your resume doesn't explain why you think you would be excellent for the role-- first, edit your resume. if you still feel like an explanation is needed, a short and to the point cover letter can be a good option. a cover letter is always crafted for one specific opening. ideally, each resume submission is massaged for each position but that can get grueling.

i did two creative writing exercises for my resume-- first, try to take it down to one page. yeah, i know nearly impossible if you have decades of experience. do it anyway. it will force you to distill the essence of each job down to a sentence or two at most.

then, create a giant, no holds barred resume with everything from every job. if you see a job posting and go "yeah, i know its funny but i actually learned a lot about working under pressure as well as machine maintenance during that ice cream shop job in 1992", PUT IT DOWN on the giant resume.

you don't submit this resume, but it should contain the building blocks of every resume you ever do submit.

a rough estimate is that your (private industry) resume should expand by a page per decade. this may vary by industry a bit, but if you're over three pages and you aren't a gen x you probably need to cut it down a bit.

rules for gov jobs are different. you need to make sure you have recorded full-time experience even if it's not in the same industry, because feds don't do age discrimination like tech does and the pay matrix math in the FIRREA agencies is based on years of experience, and if its not on the resume you submitted it does not count.

good luck. it sucks. it can take a long time to shake off the sting but a layoff is not actually a condemnation of you or your capabilities or your value as an employee. it's just bad luck and bad timing, and you should not cling to it.

take the holiday week to breathe and regroup, if you need, and then attack the job search like it's your new job. [/quote]

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