I'm at 300 applications and have zero recruiter messages as an out-of-state applicant. What should I do differently?
I'm a mid-west transplant trying to move back to the east coast to be near sick family. I have 3-4 years relevant experience, a CAPM for project management, and most recently left State employment. I've been running into issues that I've never experienced before, and I'd like some insight on what I'm doing wrong, or what else could be happening.
- I've had 0 recruiters contact me on Linkedin. That's never happened to me before. My bio is set up to be visible to those recruiters. I've been reaching out to them for certain companies, but have no leads.
- I've had multiple calls for potential interviews for mostly lateral move State positions, and once they heard I was out-of-state (yes, that's on my application), there was an awkward silence and they never called back. What should I be doing differently? I'm willing to go there for a week or two at this point just to do as many interviews as I can.
- I've had 1 virtual interview for a non-profit that accommodated me. I thought I had a pretty good shot at it, and it went well, but then... they ghosted me. I was kind of confused, because this organization's whole thing is about fairness and equity!! I followed up twice, then finally called them, and they then rejected me. I am aware that they outsourced HR to an external agency, and I am applying to a lot of small non-profits, so is this a thing I should be aware of...? I've applied to bigger non-profits and never had that issue.
- Mostly, I just see positions I don't qualify for. I do have GIS and data management experience, but not to the degree that most jobs need. I have managed money, but I don't have real Quickbooks or GAAP accounting experience. I'm trying to be in the project management space, but I'm not coming from engineering or construction. I'm looking mostly for niche fin-ops roles, mostly for non-profits at this point.
I'm considering abandoning my quest entirely for an environmental role during this transition, because I just don't seem to be getting anywhere in this niche space, so any advice is greatly appreciated.
Edit: I was re-reading my post, and I'll add a few more things. My Linkedin is optimized with keywords for recruitment. I do post bi-weekly at least. I have a portfolio website that generates traffic. I have gaps in my resume, but have projects that fill those gaps. I've been skill-building since I left my position in February.