I am writing you because I need a job and you just happen to be hiring.
My resume shows the vast experiences I have had, which is the result of
being married to a military man. I move all the time, and it’s not my
fault that I have job hopped so much.
Since moving to Fort Sumter, I have spent countless hours trying to find a
job willing to hire someone who moves so frequently. From the website, it
looks like your company is okay with hiring pretty much anyone, so I thought
I might be a qualified candidate.
I am good at multi-tasking because my husband is not around much, and I have
no other choice. I know I can bring my work ethic to your team if you would
just give me a chance. Please call me to talk about your opportunities.
Sincerely,
Jane
Jane’s cover letter is fictitious, created to illustrate a point. You may have read it and chuckled a little because of the unpolished and shockingly candid plea for employment, but your job application may be expressing the exact same sentiment in slightly more subtle, understated ways!
Believe it or not if you are desperate for a job, it can come across in your resume and cover letter. It becomes harder to develop a polished, inspiring resume when you are not excited about the position and just want a paycheck, rather than a certain position.
In a competitive job market such as ours, being a military spouse job seeker has become increasingly difficult–but it does not mean that you cannot be discriminatory in your job searching either. Keep in mind that if you blindly apply to hundreds of jobs with no passion for any, you will probably get little success because your disinterest is likely apparent.
Some tips:
1. Have someone else read your resume or cover letter. What do they think? Could you tweak a word here or there to demonstrate a higher level of confidence in yourself and your abilities?
2. Try new strategies in job searching. If you continue the same actions and get the same results, something has got to give or you will continue on a path to nowhere.
3. Get to know people in fields that you want to work in. What would they like to see in potential job applicants?
