If this sounds familiar, following are several tips that will help you get noticed faster by the businesses that you really want to work for.

Update Your Resume Or CV

You won’t have the chance to rely on your good looks, personal charm and ability communicate well verbally. Using online platforms is far different from attending job fairs and other in-person meetings. You’ll be wholly reliant upon your resume or CV and this means that you have to create a results-oriented document that shows prospective employers that you’re able to get things done. List the accomplishments that you’ve made in the past and offer real data. Eliminate all flowery language and get straight to the point. A resume or CV that’s loaded with insightful facts, numbers and statistics will capture more attention online than will one that has been written with a careful focus on colorful prose.

Broaden Your Search

Take a look at projects and job opportunities that are slightly different from what you’re used to. Broadening your focus will give you far more job opportunities to chose from and a much greater chance of getting hired, particularly if options in your current niche seem more limited than usual. Look for positions that use the skills you already possess, but in different ways. When doing so, make sure to include a detailed cover letter about your interest in this new area and why you think your past experience makes you perfect for these types of jobs.

Highlight Your Professional Development Plan

Show companies that you’re committed to providing good value by talking about your professional development plan. You can use your cover letter, resume or CV to list the different forms of training that you’ve completed or will complete in the near future. If job websites require you to create a personal profile when signing up, include details about your professional development plan here as well. If you haven’t started such a plan, make sure to get one going right now and list an outline of your newly formed plan wherever you can. In addition to making you a more desirable prospect, concerted and organized efforts to improve your personal skills can also help justify any gaps in your employment history. Best of all, employers will know that they can get a good return on their investments by hiring you.