Why am I not Getting a Call Back?
Ok, you are all ready to start your job search. You apply to a few jobs, give it some time and never hear back. You apply to more jobs and land an interview, but don’t move on to the next stage. You’re feeling discouraged, frustrated and confused because you are clearly an amazing candidate for these roles. So why aren’t recruiters calling you back?
Here are some key areas we look for as hiring managers and often clients who aren’t getting calls back are missing. You need to stand out in the crowd (in good ways) and these tips will help.
Cover Letter Connections
If this job opportunity sounds AMAZING to you, chances are it sounds great to lots of other people too. Seriously! In our experience as hiring managers we have seen postings with only a few openings and over 500 applications to sift through to find the right person. How do you get to the top of the pile? With a cover letter that will grab the recruiter’s attention and show them exactly why you are the best person for the job.
Warning - Please don’t take this to mean you need to use pink font and talk about your love of giraffes to stand out (yes, we have also seen that and we do NOT recommend it!). Try using your personal experience/connection to the role or organization to explain why you want to work there so badly. To explain why you are the best person to work there, discuss what specific skills you bring to the job (which connects to what they are asking for in the posting) or impact you will have in the role.
Consider connecting your future career aspirations to those of the organization. Did they just launch a new product? Open a new store? Mention this in your cover letter to show them you are following their success and want to be a part of it for the long run. Do NOT go over 1 page – the recruiter wants to learn about what makes you amazing, not your whole work history (save that for the resume and interview).
Resume Shake Up
After you hook the recruiter with your killer cover letter they will want to learn more about you and scan through your resume. In total, recruiters take less than 8 second to make a decision about your application and if you will be selected to move to the next step. Don’t waste those precious moments!
If you are still using the same resume format you had when you applied for your first high school job, it may be time for a shake up. Consider changing the format to something that is more eye catching and highlights the important aspects of the posting. Again, nothing crazy in the design please! The two column resume is quite popular right now where one column contains highlights or quick bullet points generally around education or software/skills. The larger column is where you can put your relevant experience. Since you only have a few moments to hold the recruiter’s attention, make sure they can scan your resume quickly and pick up the most important information for the role quickly (For example: meeting the educational requirements specified in the posting).
Use impactful, results oriented statements in your resume when describing your previous experience. People love numbers, facts and stats so they can understand what you have done in other roles and will start imagining you doing the same in this role.
Instead of saying:
- Organized company events
Try:
- Coordinated a company-wide retreat for over 500 employees with a budget of $15,000 and exceeded our goal of increasing employee engagement by 15% following the event
Customization
Applying for a job is kind of like going on a date – sort of. You want the person to come ready to find out more about you and invested in seeing where this specific relationship goes (like customizing your cover letter and resume for this opportunity). You don’t want someone who just shows up hoping to meet tons of people and banking on one taking an interest in them (like using a generic resume to apply for tons of jobs with a shotgun approach). Showing that you are invested in this specific job or company gives the recruiter that warm and fuzzy feeling that you have you’ve done your research on the company and are interested in its future. That feeling makes them significantly more likely to consider investing in you as their next employee and for the long term.
Consider customizing or changing some of your experience bullets to best reflect what is being asked for in the posting. If you were previously in an Office Manager role and now applying for a job in Accounting, highlight those tasks that directly relate to accounting for this application. If you were to apply for a sales job next, highlight how you interacted with staff and customers in a timely and courteous manner. We highly recommend you keep your resume succinct and showcase your RELEVANT experience, not every job you have ever had. Do your best to keep your resume to 2 pages or less.
Interview Nerves
Ok, so you got to the top of the pile and landed the interview! This is what you have been waiting for so make sure you PREPARE for the interview. It may not seem hard to talk about yourself and your experience but giving it some thought and practicing your responses in advance will pay off.
Bonus Tip: Check out the Our Ultimate Interview Prep Guide blog post and download our Podcast Ace the Interview for specific tips, questions to prepare for an how to calm your nerves.
In the meantime, practice your humble brag. They want to hear about what YOU did in the past, not what your team did, your colleagues or your boss. Practicing using ‘I’ in your responses and have a friend ask you questions and give you feedback on how direct you are being in answering the questions. Did you stick to the question or wander? Did you explain the role YOU played or was it generic to ‘my team’ or ‘we’?
Sometimes interviews are won or lost in how you answer tough questions. If they ask a question you do not know how to answer, prepare yourself for how you will respond. You can ask them to come back to that question at the end if you think an answer will come to you. You can also say you do not know the answer and explain how you will find out the answer after the interview (consult a regulation, ask an experienced colleague etc). This shows you are interested in learning and growing and aren’t afraid to admit when you don’t know. This may not get you the job, but it shows a lot of credibility, willingness to be vulnerable and a growth mindset which goes a long way with a hiring team.
Impatience
For some people who are waiting to hear back if they landed their dream job or not, being patient is the hardest part. Hiring often takes time (far more time than you would like to think). Following up after an interview with a thank you note the next day to the hiring team is a great idea to remind them that you are really interested in the role and appreciated their time and feedback. Following up with them repeatedly looking for an answer on next steps can turn off a hiring team. It may signal that you are constantly looking or direction or won’t be able to work independently. Pick your follow up times carefully and don’t overdo it. If they promise you a decision by a certain date, follow up a day or two after if the date has passed if you have not heard. Continuing to follow up daily is over the top but do keep reaching signaling that you are still interested. This posting may be one of many the team is juggling so try to be understanding if there are some delays. On the flip side, being promised decisions, information on next steps etc. that continue to be missed by the recruiter may also be a red flag that the organizational culture is not a good fit for you.
While it can be tough to keep pushing through when you haven’t been getting a call back, don’t despair. Ask for help from a friend, check out our free resources or even contact us for a free consultation. We’ll discuss what you’ve tried so far and what you may want to change for your next applications. These tips will help you with your next steps to break through and move to the next step in your career journey.
