I am starting to feel a bit discouraged about the sheer number of times I have sent out my resume and cover letter for positions and not heard back. I've shown my resume/cover letters to multiple people in closely related fields, and they've said that it is strong, and they would totally want to interview me. But, still nothing. I'm applying for jobs that I'm fully qualified for, or like 75% qualified for. Each cover letter is tweaked to the specific company/role and I'm applying for jobs/companies that I'm genuinely interested in, which I think shows.

My experience is a little bit dated. I pivoted to an unrelated field for a few years, and have been freelancing since, which means I have a gap in my resume. I explain it clearly and in a positive manner in my cover letter. I'm only applying for remote work, so I am afraid that I may just be part of a *huge* application pool for each job I apply for.

Thoughts on how to stand out more? Next steps? Who I could work with to start getting some calls for interviews? Should I go for a professional certification to help my resume stand out, and look more current? Literally any solidarity or advice here would be appreciated.