6 Possible Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Hired (and How to FIX Them)
If you’ve applied to several companies but are yet to hear back from them, then there must be something you’re not doing right. Sure, job hunting is a game of numbers, but it relies more on strategy than luck. So, you’re likely to get ghosted or rejected if you miss some crucial considerations.
Instead of trying out different companies and tweaking your application letter, it’s wise to unearth the possible reasons why you’re not getting hired. Simply review the quality and not the quantity of your applications to increase the chances of getting hired.
Below are possible reasons and possible fixes.
- Overqualification
Being overqualified could be the reason you’re yet to hear from most of the companies you’ve applied to. Of course, companies look for qualified prospects meaning that all applicants must meet most if not all the requirements.
Most jobs, especially the specialized fields, require applicants to meet specific requirements. The required qualifications are the first things recruiters look out for in the early stages of the hiring process.
At this time, the recruiters treat overqualification as a red flag, thinking that you may feel underemployed or quit a short period after joining the company. For that reason, companies prefer potential long-term hires and make the costly and time-consuming hiring process as effective and efficient as possible.
Therefore, if you want to increase your chances of getting hired, you should match indicated skills on your resume depending on the position you’re applying for. Or you can simply use a help from Skillhub cover letter service. Just prove that you’re fit for the available work, even if you’ve handled more complex tasks in your last job.
- Unimpressive CV
It is worth noting that many applicants have applied for the same position. So, the recruiters have the complex task of sifting different resumes as they look for the best fit. In this case, the recruiters are likely to discard your resume if it’s uninteresting or not tailored to the job requirements.
Therefore, you should review your cover letter and resume to match every position you’re applying for.
For instance, you can have one cover letter and resume for product management and another for content strategy. The best practice would be to emphasize your experience in each field as your accomplishments in the CV, ensuring that you include keywords from the job description.
Once you tailor your resume and cover letter, you make your qualifications clear to the recruiters and subsequently increase your chances of landing a job offer.
If you want to send another application for a different job posting, update the resume only to include relevant qualifications.
- Improper Resume Formatting For ATS
If your resume is fully optimized but you still receive no response from recruiters, check whether it’s formatted correctly for an applicant tracking system (ATS).
The tracking system is a computer program that scans your eligibility based on the job criteria. Note that the program is not a human but a robot set to check specific phrases and keywords.
If your resume lacks the required keywords or is in an unreadable format, it’ll likely be discarded. Most job portals use the ATS due to the high number of applicants.
Below are three steps that you should follow to ensure that the ATS picks your resume.
- Use Appropriate Keywords
Recruiters use specific keywords in their job descriptions to only attract qualified applicants. So, it’s advisable to analyze the skills detailed in the description and use similar terms in your resume.
- Avoid Fancy Formats
Avoid fancy fonts, graphics, tables, columns, and non-standard bullet points. For instance, using tables means packing information in restricted spaces. Unfortunately, the ATS program doesn’t pars such information, meaning that the tabled sections could be lost entirely, leading to your resume rejection.
- Name Sections Conventionally
Use terms like “Education” and “Experience” as section headings instead of “Schools Attended” and “Where I’ve Worked.”
- Improve Your Interview Skills
While your resume tells the recruiters about your competence, the interview experience will help them confirm if you’re really who you say you are. Your conduct during the first interview tells the recruiter a lot about your personality traits, professionalism, and how well you think and communicate.
Your personality is as crucial as your experience and qualifications in the modern world. The recruiters want to make the most out of the interview process and want to know your interpersonal skills, core values, and response to challenges and pressure. You don’t want to be the applicant who can’t keep up with the small talk, understand humor, or read body language. Such a person is unlikely to land a job.
If you want to stand out in a job interview, some of the skills you need include storytelling, empathy, body language, eye contact, small talk, and active listening. You can improve most of these skills by understanding and practicing them regularly.
It would help if you also learned how to answer common interview questions. Most companies still use traditional questions to get a general sense of your personality, although the company you’re applying to might go for more unconventional and creative interviews.
- Lack Of Understanding of The Company
Failure to conduct in-depth research on the company is another factor that could cost you a job opportunity. Employers ask interview questions to gauge your understanding of the company’s process, hierarchy, work ethics, or philosophy. Your answer tells them whether you’ve done your homework and understand the environment you want to get into.
Most job applicants ignore the research on the company as it is unlikely that they will be rejected just because they don’t know when it started. However, having basic knowledge about the company is one way to show the employer that you’re interested and ready to accept the offer.
You can find information about the company on its website, Google Search, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. Familiarize with the company’s objectives and prepare to discuss how you will contribute to achieving them in light of the value you bring in.
- Your Social Media Is Messed Up
Having unethical or unprofessional content on your social media platforms can adversely affect your job search. Nowadays, potential clients and recruiters evaluate your suitability and competence for a job based on your online activities and personality.
Therefore, it’s crucial to maintain a good record on all your social media accounts and clean up anything that they might find inappropriate.
Redefine Your Job Hunt
If you want to emerge the best in the stiff competition to land a job, you must polish your documents and strategy. Hopefully, the solutions provided here will help you identify your mistakes and make the necessary changes to accelerate your journey to your next job.
