For many candidates, finding an enticing job opportunity is exciting. However, if you keep applying to open positions and aren’t getting contacted for interviews, maintaining your enthusiasm gets harder. Often, it leads you to wonder what you’re doing wrong and if there’s anything you can do to increase your odds of success.
While some of the issues are easy to avoid – particularly if you partner with a recruiter at a temp agency in New Brunswick, NJ – understanding what’s preventing you from landing interviews is essential. It lets you update your strategy to increase your odds of success, allowing you to secure a new job in less time. Here’s a look at some reasons you may not be getting contacted for interviews.
Reasons You May Not Be Getting Contacted for Job Interviews
Not Enough Experience
One of the most common reasons a candidate is landing interviews is that they’re applying to positions that don’t align with their experience. This includes focusing on roles where your existing experience isn’t relevant, as well as aiming at jobs that are a step or two too high based on your current qualifications.
Generally, it’s best to focus on opportunities where you bring at least 70 percent of the capabilities the hiring manager wants to find to the table. Additionally, make sure the role isn’t more than one step above your last position if you’re remaining in the same field.
If you’re changing careers, you may need to look at entry-level jobs in the new field, even if you were farther along in your last career. Not all your previous experience likely applies to the path you’re targeting now, so needing to take a step back is often necessary.
Mistakes on Your Resume
Even small mistakes on your resume can cost you during a job search. At a minimum, it can lead a hiring manager to assume that you lack attention to detail. Similarly, the hiring manager might guess that you weren’t particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity since you didn’t take the time to proofread your application.
Often, this issue is the simplest to fix. Spend time reviewing your resume every time you prepare to submit it. It’s also wise to ask a trusted family member or friend to check it for errors, as they may see a mistake that you overlooked.
Focusing on Duties, Not Achievements
While discussing your assigned duties on your resume was the go-to approach in decades past, modern resumes are achievement-oriented. Hiring managers want to know how you leverage your skills to provide value, not what you were assigned based on your job description. As a result, using the antiquated approach can mean missing out on interviews.
Additionally, focusing on duties may incidentally give away your age, which could lead to discrimination. Even if that doesn’t occur, it could cause a hiring manager to assume you’re behind the times, and they may wonder if the same applies to your on-the-job capabilities.
Want to Improve Your Chances in The Interview Process? Alpha Consulting Can Help!
Ultimately, any of the issues above can cost you interviews. If you’d like to learn more about how you can increase your chances of landing a meeting with a hiring manager or are ready to get support from a recruiter through a temp agency in New Brunswick, NJ, Alpha Consulting wants to hear from you. Contact us today.
