Update On The Effort

150+ applications and resumes

10 interviews

7 online rejections

3 offers declined

I like numbers. Quantifying things gives people a solid frame of reference. The only number of which I'm unsure is the number of hours I've spent applying to jobs, revamping my resume and researching job hunting in the 21st century.

I did revamp my resume after reading about the importance of keywords and how resumes are parsed into Applicant Tracking Software (ATS). On my previous resume, I didn't mention a high school diploma because I felt my BA made a high school diploma a moot point but I added the information just to be on the safe side. I also revamped my keywords and the way they were laid out in my skills section, attempting to make this area more concise.

I declined three offers; one because it was third shift, one because it was temporary and one because the pay was too low.

I've had one second interview and anticipate five more.

At least two of the interviewers checked out my LinkedIn profile before interviewing me. Three of the interviews were conducted by phone. Four of the interviews included pre-employment testing using Microsoft Office, math and personality profiling.

Three of the interviews were with agencies. One agency was specific to the legal field and was excellent. The other two were general employment and not excellent.