Courtesy Kevin Cash
- Kevin Cash has applied to more than 1,200 jobs since being laid off in November 2022.
- He started using a "no-nonsense" cover letter after getting fed up with not hearing back.
- Cash hopes recruiters will start thinking about applicants as people who need to make a living.
This as-told-to essay is based on an interview with Kevin Cash. Cash, who lives outside Portland, Oregon, has a background in business intelligence and working in semiconductor manufacturing facilities. Cash, 42, served in the Navy, is a member of the IQ society Mensa, and has five degrees, including an MBA. He's been looking for a full-time job since getting laid off in November 2022 and posted online a cover letter he recently wrote that he describes as "no-nonsense." The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.