7 Reasons Why Your Job Application Is Ignored

Tired of sending off resume after resume and only hearing crickets in return? Well, you’re not alone. A vast majority of people who apply for positions are in the same boat as you. Let’s talk about the top reasons why your job application is ignored.

During a particularly difficult job search, it can be frustrating to see a position you’re particularly interested in but not get a call on it. Even if you feel you’d be a great fit for the role.

Even worse when you see the same position posted a few weeks later, yet it seems like they won’t even look at you. What gives?

There are many reasons why you are not getting called on your resume. So it’s hard to pinpoint an exact reason why you’re not getting noticed.

But if you are experiencing a general lack of calls, there are some common reasons why you may not be getting to the next round of the interview process.

Let’s discuss 7 reasons I most frequently skip over a resume for an interview.

1. You lack the necessary skills to do the job.

Just to be blunt, most people are not getting called because they simply don’t match the job close enough. If you read the job description and don’t realistically match 80% of the requirements for the role, you’re just going to waste your time applying for a job.

Because hiring managers are looking for a specific skill set. And if you don’t have it, you will be looked at as too much of a project. Most hiring managers are fine with stretching a bit for a role, but if you’re not even in the same ballpark, you may want to reevaluate if you want to apply.

2. You lack the experience needed for the role.

While it doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t be successful in the role, hiring managers want to know you’ve done it before and won’t be in over your head. Because hiring is a risk on both sides, the best indicator of success is what you’ve done in the past.

That’s why employers rely on behavior based interviews to identify the right fits for their roles. Now, if a posting calls for 5 years of experience and you only have 3, you may be fine.

But if the job requires 15 years of leadership experience and you’ve only got 3 years as an individual contributor, you’re likely going to fail. It’s better for you to find a role that’s more career appropriate and build your way to the role you ultimately desire.

3. You haven’t optimized your career.

The person who has a job-hopping resume or one that is fragmented and disjointed typically hasn’t put much thought into their career choices. Having a solid, sensible career progression shows you’ve put strategy behind your choices.

Companies want people who are “going places” – not retreads. I know this can sound harsh, but treating your career like an afterthought usually comes back to bite in the long run.

If you’ve never really sat down and mapped out your career goals, I’m going to take a guess that your resume reflects it. Avoid a disjointed career by mapping out your goals with precision and only accepting positions that help get you there.

4. Fierce competition.

In normal hiring times, major corporations get between 200-1000 applicants per role. That doesn’t count any of the outreach they do themselves. And if you’re looking during a time of financial crisis, expect the competition to be even stiffer. So you need to really stand out to get noticed in that sea of people.

Just being average, not tailoring your approach to the job you’re interested in is not going to get you the results you are hoping for.

Make sure all of your tools are optimized and on point – the resume, your LinkedIn profile and your personal brand all need to be razor focused on the role.

5. You have a poor resume.

Assuming you have the skills to do the job, and are reasonably experienced for the role. If you’re not getting called on your application, your resume is the likely culprit. Because of the volume of applications most major employers see, you have to stand out from the crowd.

Your resume must not only pass the ATS screening but also the quick glance by a recruiter. Anything less than a perfect resume is going to get skipped over during the screening process.

6. Lack of industry experience

Similar to not having job experience, this one boils down to industry exposure, or lack thereof. Right, wrong or indifferent, hiring managers almost always bias toward people who have already worked in their field.

While I realize that many skills are transferable, I’ve not had great success influencing hiring managers away from this requirement if they have their mind set on it. If you lack industry experience, figure out a creative way to get exposure to it and make sure you highlight why you feel you’d be a great fit for the role, regardless of the industry.

7. Luck.

Yes, luck. Sometimes it pays to be lucky. Oftentimes a recruiter will run ads, go through an interview process and not find the candidate they are looking for. Or someone will decline an offer and we’re back to square one.

So a position that might have been open for several weeks is again looking for candidates. You never know when a hiring manager may open up your resume. I’ve been known to start looking at the newest applications first, because they are more likely to still be in an active search.

Don’t hesitate to apply for positions that are a few weeks old. You may end up with an interview.

Looking to supercharge your career search? Sign up for my FREE 5 Day Bootcamp for job seekers!

The good news is that most of these things are correctable.

IF you know what you’re doing and take decisive action, most of the reasons why you are not getting calls for interviews can be corrected. It does take work, careful planning and strategy. If you’re unsure how to do this, make sure you check out the FREE 5 Day Bootcamp – see the link above.

We cover how to get noticed by recruiters, get more interviews, what makes one candidate a superstar and another average, why your resume may be an issue and much more.

If you’re a job seeker and have made some of these mistakes, don’t fret. But do learn from your past mistakes and don’t repeat them. With a bit of strategy and some preparation, you’ll be on your way to landing that elusive dream job! Be sure to check out my Youtube page for the latest insider tips from a recruiter.

Let’s land you that dream job!