How to get noticed

[dontknowanymore]

I worked as a senior HR Administrator up until 2002 where I took a career break to bring up my daughter. I'm now trying to get back into the workplace and am fast becoming demoralised by the lack of any response, not even invited to attend interviews.

I've been applying for all sorts of admin roles, nothing too senior but jobs that I know I have the skills to do. Obviously the climate's not great at the moment and I know that I'm up against younger candidates (I'm 38) who haven't been out of the workplace for the last 7.5 years but feel if I could just get to interview stage I might stand a chance.

I wonder if my covering letter isn't quite hitting the mark, tend to be very frank about my situation and perhaps I'm not selling myself enough, or am I just kidding myself and my career days are behind me and it's time to shuffle off to the local supermarket as a check out girl!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You definitely need to market yourself better! Just from your posting style you sound apologetic!

Do you want to share your covering letter here? Then you can get some input from other people.

You've hit the nail on the head there Bonsoir! I've lost a lot of confidence, gone through a divorce and am finding the whole getting back into the workplace very daunting and just don't seem to have the belief that I'm quite up to the mark anymore.

My covering letter tends to be along the lines of...

Dear Sirs,

Please find attached my CV for the following vacancy that I am very interested in applying for.

I have been out of the workplace for the last 7 years whilst raising my family and am now looking to get back into the workplace where I can utilise the skills and experience that I have.

Prior to this I worked as a Human Resources Advisor, (try to pull on skills that I have that would fit the vacancy that I'm applying for) where I possessed strong administrative skills, the ability to prioritise a challenging workload whilst also maintaining complete confidentiality at all times.

I look forward to hearing from you and await your response...

Please feel free to give as much honest input!

I have been out of the workplace for the last 7 years whilst raising my family and am now looking to get back into the workplace where I can utilise the skills and experience that I have.

GET RID of this paragraph - it's the first thing that hits you and would make me put it to teh bottom of th pile - sorry.

Start by telling them what skills you DO have, just a small emntion on your CV about rasing your family will suffice.

No no NO!!!

I order you to immediately remove that line about 'I have been out of the workplace' from the up-top position. [throws dontknow's letter into bin]

Give me a sec - I will think of an alternative ...

Dear Sirs,

Please find attached my CV for the following vacancy that I am very interested in applying for.

I have previous experience as a Human Resources Advisor, (try to pull on skills that I have that would fit the vacancy that I'm applying for) and I possess strong administrative skills, the ability to prioritise a challenging workload whilst also maintaining complete confidentiality at all times.

I am an excellent communicator, well organised and would relish the opportunity of working for

I look forward to hearing from you and am available to attend an interview immediatley.

Yours sincerely
xxxx

Start your letter with the most interesting and pertinent fact about you for the post you are applying for.

You do not need to even mention your career break in your covering letter.

Ladies you are fantastic! please keep it coming, it's a tremendous help.

Just off to do the school run but will be back!

How about this - bit rough and ready but you get the gist ... Others should feel free to argue with me

Dear Sirs,

PARA 1
Please find attached my CV for the following vacancy. I have a portfolio of HR, administrative (and organisational?) skills that matches the role (and maybe addd half a sentence about how you'd like to work for the company to inject a bit of enthusiasm, which you can pick up later in the letter)

PARA 2
In my most recent job, as HR Advisor at MNLtd, I did ... [list tasks]. My major achievements were ...[list achievements eg hired 27 new people, negotiated an agreement with local trade untion, wrote firm's internal newsletter etc etc]

PARA 3
I am interested in working for your company because ...[eg I have an interest in the niche you sell to, you have a complex range of staff issues which would be challenging and interesting to sort out, I like your product and want to serve the organisation, you are 10 mins from my house ;) etc etc]

PARA 4
I have just completed a career break, taken whilst my [2] children were small. They have now started school [or whatever] and I am keen to get back to work. [You may want to add a bit about - I'll be pleased to discuss childcare arrangements with you if I am called to interview. I ALWAYS put in bit about this despite it being illegal for them to ask etc as IMO it's a bit of an elephant in the room otherwise.]

I look forward to hearing from you and await your response...

Actually I agree with Bonsoir. You don't need to mention the career break in covering letter ... altho if it is on CV I can see why you would feel you want to explain ...

Err, that's what I said.

The only thing that matters in a covering letter is explaining why your skills and experience are going to add value to the organisation. So you need to demonstrate an excellent understanding of the company and of the role you are applying for, and highlight everything that you know how to do that will enable you to add value to the company.

Sorry DrNortherner - so you did!!

I like mrsbaldwin's version. Remove paragraph 4 though. Career break not relevant, or at least not relevant enough to put in the covering letter. Definitely don't offer to discuss your personal childcare arrangements with them. You don't want to give any hint of an impression that your childcare arrangements affect your ability to do the job or that it's ok for them to ask you about it, and personally I wouldn't want to work for a company that would dream of having such a discussion even if it were offered.

It also suggests a possible lack of awareness of your rights, which isn't obviously necessarily a problem for the employer in itself, but it would certainly raise an eyebrow about someone who'd worked in HR...

I wouldn't have paragraph 4 in either - they'll work out that you've had a career break and might ask yhou about it in an interview but no need to put it in the covering letter.

Yes, the revised idea looks excellent. Frankly, I'm not surprised that you haven't been getting interviews with a letter that emphasises the career break above anything else.

Also 38 is not old. 38 is mature, with the experience which is appropriate for an administrator. Why don't you start applying for the more senior roles too?

Again excellent advise all round!

Mrs Baldwin, I love the letter, it's exactly what's required, I just seem to have lost the confidence to sell myself, although I know that I am more than capable to do the jobs that I'm applying for.

Grendelsmum, point taken, that old negative thinking again! I feel that at the moment just getting my foot back in the door is a start, and a role that allows me to build on my confidence and skills would be a good starting block.

I saw a couple of vacancies today and very glad that I posted here before applying, I shall now apply with renewed confidence thanks to the help of all you lovely ladies and will of course keep you updated on progress!