It is a common question and frustration shared by anyone who’s applied for a job. I’ve seen numerous comments online and have spoken to many frustrated candidates about it; you send your CV – but you don’t get a call.
There could be any number of reasons why, however, these are 2 of the most common, and easy to fix explanations.
You’re Not Clear
The first thing to recognise is that it’s a competitive market – there are thousands of job seekers (both in and out of work), flooding recruiters and hiring managers with their CV. I often advertise a vacancy and receive between 100-200 applications.
While it isn’t always the case, it helps to assume that whoever is reading your application, may also have 199 more to read. As a result, hiring managers need to make quick judgements or assumptions, based on what they see on your resume.
To increase your chances of being seen, it needs to be very clear, that you have the needed skills for the role. Make sure that the required skills listed on the job advert are easy to recognise on your CV.
I was once recruiting for a technical role and had a candidate call me to express his dissatisfaction after not receiving a call. The key skill that I was looking for, which was all over the job advert and in the job title, was not on his CV. Not once. When I pointed this out, he said, “well I was doing that years ago, I lead teams of people that do that, so of course I have the skills”. Unfortunately, recruiters are not mind readers – make it obvious to anyone reading your CV that you have the required skills.
Your Location
You may be based in a different state or location to that listed on the job description, but are willing to relocate for a role. If you don’t want someone making the assumption that it’s too far for you to commute or that you don’t have the rights to work, you need to make your position clear.
Some way to communicate this could be:
- I am currently living in XYZ, I fly to Australia on ABC and have 1234 visa.
- I currently live in Sydney, but I am looking to move to Melbourne to be closer to family.
- I can interview face to face with a few days’ notice, and if successful, I can move and start within X weeks.
Putting this on your email, in your CV or cover letter, will avoid you mistakenly being ruled out due to distance.
A helpful way to evaluate your application is to review the job description then look at your CV and ask yourself “what reasons will they have, NOT to call me?”. Make sure you address any reasons in a clear and concise way. A cover letter may be a great place to add additional explanation.
If it’s clear you are in the right place and have the right skills, then the chances are, you will get a callback and an opportunity to further discuss the position.
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