Being a job seeker can sometimes be degrading.

You’ve taken the time to weed through job listings. You’ve proofed your resume so many times you’re cross-eyed. You’ve crafted what you think is the perfect cover letter, cleverly linking your professional experience to this particular role. And you’ve sent it off.

Then, crickets.

At Newcastle Associates, I hear this complaint from candidates who’ve been looking for a job for a while before they come to me.

Why don’t people respond to job applications?

The truth is, hiring managers and recruiters sometimes get hundreds of resumes for one job posting. It would be impossible for them to closely review each one, never mind respond thoughtfully to each.

Often, HR teams use specialized software for the first pass at applicants. And if your resume doesn’t make it past that software challenge, it can drop into the void.

A few tips:

1. Don’t apply for jobs you’re clearly not qualified for.
2. Use keyword optimization — similar language in your cover letter and resume to what’s in the job description.
3. Use traditional, or at least consistent, resume formatting.

Article on Glassdoor lists a few more good tips.

“Sam, I want to find more joy at work this year.”

… is something literally no one has said to me. My clients tend to be focused on finding smart hires and making informed leadership decisions that will positively affect their companies and careers.

The candidates I speak with are similarly focused on success metrics and career transformation.

But what if joy were a success metric?

A piece on Inc.com lays out the four ways we can all work on bringing more joy into our work:

1. Focus on collaboration and helping your co-workers. Why? The number one response the authors got on a survey about “What brings you joy?” was “people.”

2. Be your best self. That looks different for everyone, but it has to do with being in your own creative flow.

3. Solve problems. Where hard work pays off.

4. LAUGH. It’s not just the best medicine, it’s imperative to happiness!

Is 2020 going to be the year you get truly clear on your career?

As a Recruiter, in these first months of the year, I often notice an uptick in contact from individuals ready to make a career move.

Kanika Tolver, CEO and author of Career Rehab, has this spot-on advice for people actively seeking to rehab, reinvent or resurrect a career:

Be a brand, not an employee.

But what exactly does this mean?

It means taking a proactive stance on identifying your strengths and capabilities, your subject-matter expertise and your narrative around all of it. That narrative will help you write your CV, craft cover letters, interview with clarity and have on-the-spot conversations while networking for jobs.

Tolver says — and I agree — that you should market yourself like advertising, with wittily crafted social-media posts and, of course, a decent headshot. If your LinkedIn picture is a snapshot in a conference room or, worse, a blank avatar, you’re not selling yourself.

Would you show up for an in-person work meeting in your pajamas, bowl of cereal in hand?

While there are plenty of heated opinions about whether video calls are as productive as face-to-face meetings, the reality today is that a lot of people are having a lot of them.

There’s been plenty of advice going around about video conference best practices. The one thing I’ve heard that I really love and want to share with you is this:

Create an office social pact — even a contract— stating that everyone will treat online meetings like they would in-person meetings.

That doesn’t necessarily mean everyone has to get dressed up and put their shoes on. But it does mean acting with attention and decorum.

It also might mean asking people to close their other devices or turn them face-down so that distractions are limited.

My clients at Newcastle Associates are all scrambling to institute new workplace methodologies and policies. Part of weathering this #covid19 semi-quarantine together will be finding ways to keep our workplace culture intact even as our habits and environments shift.

“Sam, I’m stressed.”

This is the most common response I’m getting these days to a simple “How are you?” and I get it. These are pretty stressful times.

But inherent in this challenge lies the opportunity for some hardcore self-care.

The Mayo Clinic’s website has a variety of in-depth resources and guides to control stress. Here’s what they recommend for building up more stress-resistance, for instance:

1. Create awareness — When you become aware you’re feeling anxious, take a moment to pause, listen to your body, recognize what you’re experiencing and perhaps even write it down.

2. Focus your attention on the present moment and practice controlling your mind’s tendency to wander. This might mean using some basic meditation techniques or breaking for a quick walk around your neighborhood to shift your focus.

3. Pause before you pass judgement. See if you can shift “This sucks” to “Here’s what I feel grateful for right now.”