If you’re wondering why you haven’t received a call-back from a recruiter for a job that could have been written for you, then you’re not-alone. Not even close to being alone.

Are you are a senior manager or executive trawling through advertisements on job boards to secure your next big gig? Then be warned; the search is likely to be frustrating and prolonged.

Why? It’s as simple as this: it’s a numbers game. 

I’ll give you an example. A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a job search consultant who was acting for an employer seeking a Chief Information Officer. It was a big job with a big salary to match. The advertisement’s prominent placement on the site, attractive sales copy, and well-known company name, meant that this job was going to receive many applications. (Even though there are probably only a finite number of people in the whole country with the skills to do a job that size).

So how many people applied? 400. 400 people who either are CIOs now, who had been CIOs in the past, and who aspired to be CIOs in the future.

400 people that that this job search consultant had to cut down to a short list of five to interview by being ruthless.

Not had a CIO job before? He’s out! Not in the same industry? Out! Wrong background? Out! Resume rubbish? Out! No local experience? Out! A background in infrastructure when the client wanted application development? Out!

At the end of the culling, 10% of the people had 100% of the skills and experience needed. That’s 40 people and the recruiter needed to interview five.

35 people, all of whom thought that this job was made for them, were lucky to receive a “thanks but no thanks” email. Those people right now must be wondering on what criteria they were judged. (That too is a good question; the final five may have been based on random facts—the recruiter asking trusted industry advisors of about your reputation, seeing who you know on LinkedIn, checking endorsements, and more. One thing is true, you won’t be able to plan for the randomness of the selection).

The fact is, if you are responding to advertisements on SEEK.com.au, careerone.com.au or through agencies, you will be competing with the largest pool of candidates possible. And, despite having 100% of the skills and experience, you may not even get an interview simply due to the sheer numbers of people with similar experience.

In other words, it’s a little like winning Lotto.

If this is going to be your method for job search, then ramp up your efforts. Applying for a couple of jobs a week will, on these numbers, be unlikely to yield even an interview.

And, while you’re waiting for the telephone to ring, start working your network and find people you know who can help you by keeping their ear to the ground.

One senior IT executive I know has created his own role several times simply by connecting with the right people, maintaining his network, keeping an ear out, making a pitch for his services, and creating the desire to bring him on board. He doesn’t need to compete with anyone; he’s made it happen. He’s not going for interviews, he’s having a chat over coffee. He’s not obsessing over a word in his resume or a comma placement, he’s busy selling the big picture.

Why not give networking a try? Get on LinkedIn, listen to what friends are saying about their employers, review those employers, see who is coming and going.

What do you have to lose?

The downturn in the world economy during, and following the GFC has influenced the way people accept job offers. For many, that means just “settling”. Instead of expecting to enjoy a salary bump when progressing from job-to-job, people all over the world have simply accepted whatever role and salary was offered, because, in the long run, paying the bills and eating are more important than waiting around for the dream job, or the acceptable salary.

Many have accepted contract work on a low hourly rate, some are doing jobs for which they are enormously over-qualified.

And now, as the world economy is starting to show a light at the end of the tunnel for many, job seekers are stuck with how to describe the time when they had to “settle” and how to get back to the salaries they had before.

First, an understanding that things have changed is paramount. Ultimately, the market decides your worth, and pinning your salary expectations on a time when things were better, is an approach that will inevitably disappoint. So before you decide that you are seeking a return to a salary of the boom times, do your research. Find out what a person of your skills and experience can expect to be paid in today’s marketplace and adjust your expectations. You may find that the salary of the past has disappeared, at least for the foreseeable future.

It is inevitable that you will be interviewed and asked why you accepted positions that paid a much lower salary. This is a tough one. Some people take a noble stance by saying that it was an opportunity to broaden their skills and experience. In reality, it doesn’t ring all that true—especially when a small amount of probing will uncover that the skills learned would not be the type of skills a person would be happy to drop a third or more of their income to acquire.

All of us though, have lived through the GFC. We all know the insecurities and the fears of wondering when restructures and job losses would occur and everyone, from the mailroom to the board room knows and understands what it would mean to lose their job. Everyone will hear the ‘truth’ in a statement that indicates you took what was available to pay the bills.

Try something like this:

“Over the past couple of years with the economy the way it has been, I’ve had to take on contract work which means about $10 to $15K less than I was paid as a full-time employee. The good news for my employers is that they were able to get a bargain! (smile, look down and chuckle). As I’m an optimist though, I guess the good news for me is that I was able to keep paying the bills and eat! But these roles were not what I do best and it really is time to get my teeth into something I do well and have been recognised for doing well.. with a salary that is commensurate with my experience.”

The above statement shows that:

• You did what you have to do (truth)
• You are aware that you’re better than that and that your employers got a “bargain”
• You can ease any tension by being human and that you have no hard feelings (the rueful smile, the chuckle)
• You know that things are returning to normal and it is time to look to the future. (firm and professional; you are aware of the current market)

There is no need to dodge and weave when it comes to why you did what you had to do to survive during the GFC. People know it, understand it, and will respect you for the determination it took for you to make the hard decisions when you had to.

Christmas is over, the Boxing Day sales have exhausted you and now you’re off on a holiday or planning on spending a few days before going back to work. If you’re like a lot of Aussies, you want to put 2012 behind you and just kick back and relax for the next couple of weeks. However, a bit of thought now about your career and your future can save you some significant stress in a few month’s time.

Right now, as you’re reading this, think about your current job. Have you hated going to work this year? Have you been looking forward to this holiday so much it’s ridiculous? Do you dread returning to work? Do you get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you think about seeing “the team” again? This is really not a good sign so don’t ignore those feelings. Unless some big changes are ahead for either the company, their people, or you, things are not going to get any better.

So do something now. Start planning.

I’m not saying you should start feverishly looking through Seek for jobs and using your holiday to send out resumes. In fact, entirely the opposite! Knee-jerk reactions rarely ever work and a hasty decision probably got you in this job in the first place. Instead of repeating the past, put some quiet time away to plan your future.

Answer these questions:

• What do you like about your current job?
• What do you hate?
• What are deal-breakers? (a deal-breaker may be a lot of travelling interstate, or shift work)
• What type of job do you want?
• What sort of boss do you work best with? (someone who is mentor, someone who gives strong direction, or something who lets you do your own thing).
• What do you want your next job to be (title, job tasks) and if you think your wish-list is realistic.
• What are the obstacles to you leaving your current job? (economy, reduction in income, seen as too old or too young).
• What are the benefits of you leaving your current job?
• What skills do you need to get the job you want?
• Do you have any skills voids? If yes, how can you develop those skills?

Give some decent thought to this and then set an exit-strategy timeline and work towards it. Write it down in capitals “I WANT TO BE GONE FROM THIS JOB IN: MONTH/YEAR”

Then write a list of all you need to do to achieve that goal. For instance, renewing old acquaintances who can help you with information or provide you with an ‘in’ to your next job. Your future success may be tied to them; so start renewing your friendships now. Look for them on LinkedIn; it’s summer, so people are more relaxed and have the time to chat online. Maybe you could even meet for a coffee and get ‘caught up’. Keep these relationships going as part of your long-term plan. Does your resume need refreshing/updating? Plan to have that done professionally and give yourself the necessary time to collaborate with your writer to get something that represents you and of which you can be proud.

January in Australia is a time for strategy and planning.

Don’t find yourself in March remembering how much you hate your job, wishing you’d set the exit strategy in place and getting to that desperate stage where something, anything would be better than this!

“The road to hell is paved with adverbs,” said author Stephen King in his book, On Writing.

If you’ve ever read one of Stephen King’s books, you’ll know the experience is a little like riding a roller-coaster. His energetic style helps his story to be told without words getting in the way.  These words are called adverbs. Now in case you’re trying to recall primary school English class, adverbs are words that describe a verb. Mostly, (and there are always incidences of when they do work), adverbs can be eliminated by using a word or phrase that places the reader in the centre of the action.

Here’s an example. “Betty swiftly sprinted away from the ferocious dog intent on breaking free.” As the action of sprinting indicates speed, then the word ‘swiftly’ is redundant. The ferocious dog in the sentence about to break free provides the context for her running.

If you cut out adverbs and start providing clear context and facts, strong content emerges.

And… so we come to resume writing.

Here’s an example of an achievement in a cover letter or resume.

• I proactively developed a program that cut $2.5M from the training budget.

If you were reading that how would you react? Would you say, ”Wow! the person proactively did that? Let’s get this guy on the phone! When he saved $2.5M that is good, but seeing he did it proactively, well that is fantastic!”

The problem with using adverbs in your resume or cover letter, is that it just adds fluff. Imagine being asked at interview, “Describe how you proactively developed the program, as opposed to say, just developing it?”. How do you answer that without the red face?

The purpose of a resume is to:

• be read and understood by decision makers who will realise our value.
• hold a person’s attention by showing them what we do best and how well we do it.
• say what has to be said—without the words getting in the way.

Take the time to sift through your resume and cover letter now, and remove the adverbs. You will be struck by how better you’re being sold without them. Look for phrases such as:

Just a quick note to let you know via my blog that I was just awarded Third Place for Best International Resume at Career Directors International TORI Awards. With an international judging panel and submissions from resume writers all over the world, this event is an outstanding opportunity for resume writers to showcase their skills and knowledge on a global scale. Thank you to all involved! This brings my tally of awards, and honestly, I can barely believe it, to: 28 TORI Awards in eleven years (includes 51 nominations, 19 First Place Awards, 3 Second Place, 5 Third Place). Also Second and Third Place Awards in the World’s Best Resume Competition).