Officially unemployed

[nachoman]

Jglfan - all I can say is "yep". Your experiences sound similar to mine, and I felt the same way about resumes. 10 years employment history, or two companies max. If they are reading through hundreds of resumes, last thing they want to read is a narrative (unless the position they are hiring for is "kiss-up" ). I wish I could give everyone else advice that would get them all hired, so for anyone listening, this is what I came up with:

1) Put details on a resume, and ALWAYS include a cover letter. Make the cover letter catchy and enthusiastic and more broad. The cover letter should be one page (three paragraphs), and the resume less than two pages. Your goal for resumes and cover letters is to get them to contact you again, either for more info or an interview. A resume gets you an interview, and an interview gets you a job.
2) Stay in contact with people in your industry. I got two interviews by knowing people within the company. If it is your former co-worker's birthday party, or your college classmate's 2nd wedding - it may be worthwhile to attend.
3) If there are any events or meetings your industry is involved with, attend those meetings. Those are great places to network. For instance, I went to a public awareness meeting over a groundwater contamination issue.
4) Keep up on licenses and training. I took a mine safety training class just to stay current, and to network. If you have OSHA 40 hour training - KEEP IT CURRENT. Think about other registrations, memberships, and skills that you could learn quickly that look good on a resume. It may be a simple community college course in computer software that lands you a job.
5) whenever you have a job, DO A GOOD JOB. Don't burn bridges. And don't put junk on facebook that reflects negatively on yourself.
6) I think sending resumes as paper copies is best. If it is in a large 9x12 envelope delivered to their desk, they are forced to open it and at least look at it. Emails and electronic submissions are easily overlooked or deleted. It is best if you address the resume to a particular person, not just "HR director". Research the company and find a name of a person who is manager of the area you are applying to. The HR director may simply file the resume without forwarding it. But if the resume gets to the person who understands your skills, you are better off. Unfortunately, many companies only accept electronic submissions now, using their data entry form. I don't know how to make yourself stand out in those instances. Hand delivering a resume may help, especially for very small companies.
7) When you do interview, wear appropriate clothing. I have heard of interviewees wearing jeans, shorts, or flip flops, and getting rejected specifically for that reason. Act positive during the interview, smile, act like you have researched the company, ask detailed questions, and do your best to remember names. The more you sound interested in them, the more they will be interested in you.