No matter your experience level, it is common to sometimes feel as though you’ve hit a wall in your job search.  For a variety of reasons, it may feel like you’ve lost some momentum and the phone simply isn’t ringing as much as you’d hoped.  While this can be disheartening, it can be a good time to recharge and reorganize.  Rather than feeling like you may have stalled out, take this opportunity to find a new approach to your job search that you hadn’t thought of before.  Remember, no matter how many times you think you’ve perfected your application process, there’s always room for improvement.  If you feel like your job search has tempered, start by taking these steps to approach your search from a new angle.

Revamp your resume

When your job search feels stale, your application materials may also begin to feel stale.  As a result, it might be time to revisit the resume that you’ve been attaching to every application; are you sure that this is the best version of it?  By giving your resume a spring cleaning, you may even be able to turn out a much better document than you thought possible, and in turn, get more responses to your applications.

Try a new cover letter

Additionally, paying the same attention to your cover letter could be the makeover your application needs.  While you should change up your cover letter for each application, you can take a closer look at the length and structure to determine if there are any areas where you could improve.  When your cover letter properly expands upon your resume and tells a hiring manager more about your personality, it can make a big difference.

Adjust your tone

In your applications, you may be using a tone that is either too formal or too laid back for an employer.  This may differ from one employer to the next, so be sure to analyze the language of the job posting and the company website to determine what kind of tone is best.  Depending on the hiring manager, the difference between ‘Hi there!’ and ‘To Whom It May Concern:’ could mean the difference between getting a call back or not.  Mix it up and see if you can strike a different tone that gets more responses.

Go outside of the box

While you may be tempted to play it safe when you feel like you’re not progressing in your job search, now is the time to try something new.  In your next application, go outside of the box, and add something extra to the application that the employer didn’t ask for.  Depending on the industry, sometimes that kind of initiative is what they’re looking for.  This could be as creative as sending a cover letter with an animated GIF, or as over the top as writing a full plan of how you can improve the organization’s current processes.  Perhaps all you need is to grab the attention of the hiring manager to differentiate yourself from other applicants.

Find a new source of inspiration

Sometimes you just need a source of inspiration to get your mojo back.  This could come in many forms—all you need to do is surf the web to find something that speaks to you.  Whether it’s an outstanding resume, a story of perseverance, or a new blog with helpful tips, something that simple can give you a new idea or spark your motivation enough to keep going.