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After being laid off from her job in the biotechnology field, Martha Lemieux, 57, of Athol, Massachusetts, immediately began networking and applying for new positions. Given her 35 years of experience, she anticipated landing a new position within a few months. Instead, Lemieux found herself applying for numerous jobs only to be met with silence from prospective employers.
“This was the first time in my career where I didn’t have a new job lined up, so I had no idea what to expect,” Lemieux says. “Over five months, I applied for 96 jobs, had five interviews and experienced some depression combined with an overwhelming sense of not being valued.”
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Searching for a new job can be both mentally and physically exhausting. Sending out hundreds of résumés, receiving a lack of response from employers and the uncertainty of a long job search can all lead to job search burnout. Older workers can be particularly vulnerable to job-search fatigue because they are more likely to face long-term unemployment. According to recent numbers, nearly 26 percent of people age 55 and older who are out of work have been unemployed for six months or longer. Only 18 percent of people age 16-54 had been long-term unemployed.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 53 percent of adults felt as if they lost a piece of their identity during their job search, while 56 percent say they experienced more anxiety and depression while looking for a job.
How your résumé helps — or hurts — your job search
According to Ed Samuel, an executive career coach and founder of SamNova, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a prolonged job search can take a toll on even the most confident job seekers. The first step to improve your chances of getting hired is to make sure your résumé is effective.
“One of the best ways to avoid burnout is to begin your job search with a great résumé and an exceptional LinkedIn profile,” says Samuel, who authored the book Optimize Your Resume: DOs and DON’Ts the SamNova Way. “Don’t list jobs you held over 10+ years ago, and avoid phrases such as ‘references on request’ that make your résumé appear outdated.”
Roza Szafranek, founder and CEO of HR Hints in Chicago, Illinois, says an effective résumé should highlight past work experience while also demonstrating how your expertise will benefit prospective employers.
“It’s important to demonstrate the impact you made on an organization and the results you achieved,” she says.
As an example, don’t just say you exceeded sales goals in your last job, or that you trained new employees — quantify your accomplishments with percentages and numbers to show the value you offer a potential employer.
Lisa Severy, a certified career counselor with University of Phoenix, says it’s also important for your résumé to reflect the specific keywords listed in job descriptions.
“Many recruiters now use screening software, known as applicant tracking systems (ATS), to rank résumés based on their relevancy to the job description,” Severy says. “To ensure your résumé makes it past the ATS, you need to include relevant information and job-related keywords.”
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