Salespeople have to hear a lot of "no's" to get to a "yes." They accept it as part of the sales process. As someone that wants to be a successful networker, you have to admit that you, too, will hear "no," which in your case is just silence-no response.

Some people believe that a job is just something you have to endure. I do not and will not believe that. While I do not think your work has to be a passion project, I do think that if you know yourself and what you are good at and like to do, you can find opportunities that are a good fit. From my two examples, it wasn't because I got lucky. I had a plan. I knew what I wanted. I proactively looked for the right opportunities and did not settle.

Question. I am going to start a job search in January. Writing a resume seems very daunting. What suggestions do you have to make writing it easier?

While panel interviews can be a bit more intimidating than one-on-one interviews, you can easily do a fantastic job. Remember to do your research ahead of time on the people who will be speaking with you and build rapport with everyone. Do those two things, and you will be ahead of your competition and win everyone over to support you for the role.

To show value, you need to understand your audience. Figure out what they value, and in all aspects of your job search, demonstrate this value. Doing so time-and-time again demonstrates your personal brand.

So if you do not want to have a social media presence and just want to apply online, your lack of social media presence will probably not be held against you. Remember, though, that a lack of social media presence will make it harder for people to find you.

1) How should I start and end an interview?

2) Why would a job posting require a cover letter in addition to a resume?

3) Everyone at my company was asked to take a 15% pay cut due to COVID-19. That was in April. It was hard to manage my budget, but I have been able to do so, mostly because my family does not go out much, and we did not take a vacation. I have not heard anything that the salaries are going to be reinstated any time soon. I know I cannot permanently live on less money. What should I do?

When I was a corporate recruiter, I loved working with the candidates and finding work they would love. I also loved working with the hiring managers and finding people that would be an asset to their team and the organization. It is not an easy job, though. Understanding what they do and why they do it helps each candidate make that vital connection with a recruiter. That connection can be essential to get your resume in front of the hiring manager.

What this means is that all effort is not created equal. The application of this as a job seeker is that not all activities are created equal. To be the most effective, you have to identify the activities that are likely to give you the most return on investment, that 20%, and put 80% of your effort behind them.