Why Weren’t You Invited For An Interview?
You see a job posting you feel is the perfect match for your background and experience, so you submit your CV with every expectation that you will get an immediate response. And then nothing happens. So what went wrong?
It’s anyone’s guess. However, just because you didn’t receive a call for a job interview doesn’t automatically mean you aren’t qualified. There are a lot of other reasons why job seekers don’t get invited in for an interview.
There’s a lot of competition out there!
Especially in today’s economic climate, there is a lot of competition for every job opening. So when an employer posts an ad, not everyone who applies can be invited in for a face-to-face interview. That means that only those job seekers that the prospective employer feels have the best qualifications will get the call. It’s simply a matter of supply and demand.
Your background and experience aren’t a match after all.
It happens all the time. Job applicants swear to themselves (and others) that they have exactly what a position calls for when it comes to experience and skill sets. However, too many times they really don’t.
It’s the difference between feeling like you can do the job (with a little training) versus actually having the specifically requested work experience and skills. One of the most difficult things for candidates to do is to be honest when they compare their work experience with the job posting.
Right background, wrong CV syndrome
How many CVs do you have? If you answered ‘one,’ then you need to rethink your job search strategy.
The “all-purpose” CV is a thing of the past. The best way to find a job is to create a CV to match each job posting. That’s the only way to incorporate the skills, traits, key words and other elements from each job posting into your resume. This doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel, but it does mean tweaking your basic CV each time you apply for a job.
Poorly designed CV
Nothing is more disappointing than to receive an unprofessional looking CV that has been poorly formatted, is filled with typos or has poorly constructed sentences. It is worth the extra time and effort to get assistance from a well-respected friend in the know or to check out the many free and for-fee CV services online.
If you’re not getting the kind of action you should be with regard to your CV, then it is time to take a long, hard look at what you’re submitting.
Poorly designed CV, part II
While it is important to include specific experience and skills in a CV, recruiters want to see much more than just a list of responsibilities. Savvy job seekers know that the best way to catch a prospective employer’s eye is to include something more.
If you want to make your CV stand out from the crowd, be sure to communicate more than just day-to-day tasks. Use action-oriented sentences that tell prospective employers what you have accomplished in tangible, number-oriented terms. That means if you booked transportation for 30 guests in less than 15 minutes, you need to sing your own praises.
The position gets filled
There was a time when job seekers were advised not to apply for a job posting too quickly. The purpose was to wait until the initial crowd of candidates thinned out to ensure your CV would arrive solo and stand out from the others.
Nowadays waiting too long can be a problem, especially if the company wants to hire immediately. You may miss your chance.
However, there are other reasons why a position may get filled. An unexpected internal candidate may become available. Or maybe the position is cut from the budget altogether. The problem is you’ll never know.
Hiring red flags
Job hopping and gaps in employment history can all go a long way in causing recruiters to second guess whether or not to invite an otherwise well-qualified candidate in for an interview. Even with today’s shaky job market and multiple lay offs, prospective employers want to find candidate’s with staying power.
One way to help yourself is to explain if you have any hiring red flags. You can either include the information as part of your CV or put it in your cover letter. It won’t guarantee an interview; however, if everything else is a fit, it will offer you a better chance.
The fact is there are lots of reasons why you may not get invited in for a job interview. The important thing is to do everything possible to ensure it isn’t because of you.
