There can several reasons why you’re not getting interviews when you’re searching for a job, putting yourself and your resume out there, and just not seeing results. Sometimes it can be as simple as the resume format you used, or more complicated such as mistakes in your cover letter or perhaps that you didn’t follow the application instructions. Whatever the reason, there are a number of things you can do to prevent the most common issues from derailing your job search. Let’s go over a few ways to prevent your resume from being put in the “later” pile – or even worse, the “circular file”.
1. Make sure you are targeting your resume to the job you are applying for – blanket applying to many job opportunities with the same resume may be efficient, but not effective. Ensure that the qualifications you have that are detailed in the job description are listed first in the bullet points on your resume, or you may be looked over for someone else who paid more attention to the posting.
2. Next, be sure that you actually do have at least 75% of the qualifications that are listed in the job description. While having 100% of the qualifications isn’t necessarily required to get you an interview, having less than 50% may be one of the reasons you aren’t being considered for the job.
3. Another reason you may not be getting interview requests is that you are relying too heavily on posting and responding to job boards like Indeed or LinkedIn. While this should be a part of your search, it shouldn’t be all you’re doing. Networking and applying directly to companies that you are interested in will help your resume stand out more.
4. Finally, it is important to make sure you remove any social media content that might be undesirable if you are researched on the Internet by potential employers. Make sure you look yourself up to see what a potential employer sees if they were to search for you, and keep your social media interesting, but appropriate.
There are many more ways that customizing your resume and job search strategies will improve your chances of getting interview requests, but these are a good start. If you are looking for additional help crafting your resume and marketing yourself in your job search, then get in touch – for help from the guy who’s been reading your resume for 20 years!