Why am I not getting any interviews?

Surely, why am I not getting any job interviews is one of the most frequently asked questions among jobseekers who actively seek employment. This is also one of the most difficult questions to answer because there could be many reasons. In this article, we will cover the most common reasons as to why you might not be getting any interviews.

We understand the struggle: it’s one thing to mess up the interview or to be beaten by a more qualified candidate. But when you’re not getting interviews, you need to stop what you’re doing and focus on your CV.

Phases of the Why Am I Not Getting Any Interviews

Usually, the first phase is “it’s not my fault.” This phase is usually fuelled by your friends and family who tell you that the job ad was fake or that the successful candidate had connections. Don’t be ashamed of this, we all have experienced it. It’s easy to give in.

In this phase, you’re not getting too worried because your current job is not that bad (yet). So, you keep sending in your applications, hoping things will change. Honestly, this phase can last up to 6 months, depending on how actively you’re looking for a job.

The second phase of Why Am I Not Getting Any Interviews starts when you start doubting yourself and your CV. You start to wonder…Maybe you’re the one doing something wrong, and not those countless recruiters who don’t know what they’re doing. That’s when you stop looking somewhere to blame and you start looking for things to improve. At least in theory.

Well, if you’ve reached this point in your Why Am I Not Getting Job Interviews situation, congratulations! Now it is time to roll up your sleeves and look at potential road blockers. We bring quite a few, so fasten your seatbelt!

Is your CV tailored?

It could be that you aren’t getting any job interviews because you use 1 CV to apply for a variety of roles. You have what is called a “generic” or a “general” CV and you don’t change it one bit before submitting your application.

This is actually the main reason why people aren’t getting interviews. They simply don’t put in the time, and they don’t tailor it to the specific position they apply to. If you’re (not) doing the same, this could be your reason. When I say “tailored”, I mean your CV should be optimized for the position you want. It needs to correspond to the job ad and show the reader why you’re the perfect person for the job.

Do you have the correct contact information?

It could sound silly, but if you are not getting interviews or replies, it could be that you’ve messed up your phone number and/or your email address. Truth be told, it happens more often than you think, so, double-check it just for good measure!

It can be a dot instead of a hyphen, 1 wrong number or a typo. Always test your contact information – that way, you’ll be sure you’ve got it right.

Hard to follow CV

Even if your CV the screening software and gets to a recruiter, that doesn’t mean the battle is over. Your CV has to be readable, easy to follow, and understandable. If you’re not getting any interviews, perhaps your CV is not reader-friendly.

Screening software is easy – you can have a bunch of keywords thrown in there and make your CV seem optimized. But, a human needs to read it next. And if they can’t, you won’t get that job interview.

To eliminate this roadblock, make sure to use standard fonts with no flashy colors, and without distractors (icons, tables, columns, etc).

Do you meet the essential requirements?

As you might already know, we at Linking Lines like to encourage people. Therefore, we often advise applying for jobs even if you don’t meet all the requirements. The crucial word here is “all.” Of course, if you don’t meet even the essential criteria, it’s not really a surprise that you’re not getting any interviews.

You need to be realistic here and not apply to every single job ad you see, regardless of whether or not you’re a good fit.

So, to be sure you’re doing this part right, reassess what kind of job ads you’re applying to.

Did you write a cover letter?

We’ve written about the importance of a cover letter before, and here we are again.

If you never provide a cover letter because it’s optional, this could be why you’re not getting any interviews.

As we’ve said before, writing a cover letter with your job application shows interest. It is always good to write a few sentences about your motivation for the role. Surely, it makes sense and you should not ignore the power of a cover letter.

How’s your LinkedIn?

It’s no secret that recruiters and hiring managers often check out candidates. If your LinkedIn is not up to date, it could be the reason why you’re not getting any interviews. Another important thing is to ensure your LinkedIn matches what you’ve said in your CV. Discrepancies are frowned upon, especially if they’re huge.

Better qualified candidates

You need to ask yourself how qualified you are for a certain position. Do you have the needed certificates? Practical experience? A clear and logical path that shows how you utilized your skills? Do you meet all the listed requirements (even the “desirable” ones)?

If the answer to any of these is “no”, that could be why you’re not getting any interviews. To put it simply, there are better-qualified candidates out there and you have two ways about it.

Number one, you can accept it and apply for less complex roles.

Number two, you can be honest in your cover letter, say you don’t check all the boxes, but you’ll make up for it with hard work and a positive spirit (or something along those lines).

Internal candidates

It’s no secret that most companies prefer internal candidates over external ones. The reason is quite simple: the ones who are already with the company know the ecosystem. Internal candidates are acquainted with company culture and values, and they most likely have internal references.

Sure, you can tailor your CV to the job post, meet all the requirements, have all the skills, and have a killer cover letter. In reality, it all means nothing if the company wants an internal candidate.

Therefore, if you’ve done everything right and still not getting any job interviews, this is most probably the reason why.

What’s next?

Ok, now you understand the main reasons why you might not be getting any job interviews. Some of those are more clear than others, but in the end, we hope they all make sense.

To conclude: it’s a matter of proper presentation and being realistic.

If you have the skills, experience, and/or education, if you meet all the requirements, make sure to show it!

If you don’t, it might not be a bad idea to skip that particular job ad for now. Focus on acquiring more skills and learning about the sector you’re interested in.

For more career tips, check out our other blog posts. There’s plenty to read about CV writing, cover letters, and job interview tips. We also have written a step-by-step guide which you can order here. Simply follow the principles outlined here and get more replies to job applications.

 

[html_block id=”8293″]