The following are 7 reasons why you may not be able to get a job
- Too much competition
- Posting your resume online and hoping it will be found.
- In the 10 seconds it takes a recruiter to scan your CV, they can’t see why they should consider hiring you.
- The recruiter can spot errors in your CV
- Your CV is not clear, easy to read and professionally organised
- You don’t have a strong LinkedIn profile
- You don’t meet the basic requirements for the job
So what can you do about it?
- Unfortunately you have little control over the level of competition you are up against. Google, for example, receives over 1 million applications per year which means that your chance of getting a job with them is less than 1%! All you can do is find a way to make sure that you stand out above the competition by ensuring that you do not fall short on any of the other 6 points.
- Nearly 4.5 thousand CVs are posted weekly on to Monsterboard alone so what are the odds in favour of a recruiter finding yours? You need to take control and be in the driving seat when it comes to your job search rather than waiting for jobs to come to you.
- The first things that recruiters look for when scanning your CV are: the positions you have held, the companies you have worked at, the start and end dates for each position and your education. Therefore you have to make it very easy for these to be found on your CV otherwise your CV will end up in the ‘no’ pile.
- According to Careerbuilder, over 60% of recruiters will reject a CV if it contains just one spelling mistake. Review your CV onscreen and on paper and ask a friend to review it for you. Make sure that you have a professional email address too if you don’t want your CV to be rejected.
- You may find it hard to believe but a recent research study from TheLadders showed that having a clear CV that is easy to read and well organised and laid out will actually increase the chances of it being read in more detail no matter what the content.
- The majority of recruiters and hiring managers will check out your LinkedIn profile in order to confirm what you have said on your CV or to find out more about you so you must make sure that you have a strong and complete profile.
- It is imperative that you spend time reviewing and comparing the job requirements to your own qualifications in order to ensure that you are only applying for jobs that you are qualified for and therefore have a chance of getting. In addition, it must be tailored to the job description – every industry, every company and every position has its own keywords and if you do not tailor your CV accordingly you will not be including the correct keywords which means your CV will won’t be considered.
If you feel that you have received an unfair number of rejection letters make sure you are not falling into the trap of any of the 7 points highlighted above.
In addition to a strong CV and LinkedIn profile, you also need a cover letter that shows how you are a perfect match for the job – even though not all recruiters read cover letters, you can’t take the chance of not having one.
And of course this only gets your foot in the door; to actually be offered the job you need to ace the interview too.
Related articles:
https://power-to-change.eu/the-importance-of-grammar-and-literacy-in-your-job-search-2/
https://power-to-change.eu/using-linkedin-to-get-your-next-job/
https://power-to-change.eu/the-number-1-cv-error/
© Anne Galloway
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Anne Galloway is the Careers Consultant for those who want to put the fun and passion back into their working week. Find out how Anne can help you along your path to career success at www.power-to-change.eu
