"CVs are about you; cover letters show how you fit a company's values. Apply for jobs in a higher salary bracket; job descriptions may match your current duties. Learn to qualify for those jobs and maximise your salary, as I've done, netting a $30k increase in 5 years with 3 job changes."
"Don't discuss salary first. Respond to salary inquiries with, ‘What's the role's desired range?’ Important questions include: 'What's the position's allocated range?' and 'Is 100% onsite attendance required?'”
"Create a spreadsheet detailing each job, contact info, and why you're the best fit. Use keywords from the description. Do a mail merge with your cover letter, checking for errors. Now, you have personalized cover letters for each job."
"Align your skills realistically with your goals. Learn industry terms for your skills and technology. Broaden your scope to other industries. Focus but don't over-specialize. Stay positive if the job's tough or you're jobless."
"Don't job hunt incessantly. I did that when I relocated for my wife - 1 year, 100+ applications, 2 interviews, no offers, led to suicidal thoughts. Later, a friend advised to limit job hunting to 12 hours a week to maintain sanity."
Always set automatic job alerts paying more than current job without being too picky about the sector. My broad alerts include government, overseas, local & WFH jobs. Also, suggesting new roles to companies, based on your specialty, can work.