Here's Why Your CV Isn't Getting You The Interviews You Want...

Sometimes we do everything right on our CV. We spend meticulous hours formatting it correctly, trying out a few different templates, and making sure that the CV is visually appealing. Then we painstakingly use the right buzzwords and headers that recruiters are looking for to make sure that your CV is flagged. 

You have the right background for the position, and maybe you’ve even gone above and beyond to curate your CV for each specific position you apply for. Yet, for some reason, you are not getting any interviews or callbacks after an initial screening. While demotivating, it doesn't mean you're not qualified for the position. 

It's the position itself

Sometimes there are simply too many applicants, and these can be for very standard positions. Positions at law firms in bigger cities, banking positions on the high street, or any type of in-demand position will have a huge supply of candidates. That means the recruiter themselves need to be able to pick from that large pool the right few candidates to proceed with. 

At times it could be simply based on random luck, or there's something that you may have missed out on your CV that could be extremely minor, but you'll never really know, and that could be disheartening after the first few rejections. You can attempt to reach out to the recruitment team to see what didn't pass on your CV. 

Constantly update your CV

Every time you get a new month of work completed, make sure to update your CV and any timeframes as necessary. Every time there’s a project completed where you had a major impact with figures, update your CV. You want to take a micro approach and have numerous revisions as possible. Maybe a position you're applying for needs exactly 3 years minimum of work experience without any room to spare. Perhaps you need to beat out other candidates with higher success rates or figures on your CV. 

This continuous updating of your CV needs to be combined with the persistence of continuously applying for new positions as they open. So you'll always come out of each application with just that extra amount of experience and success that will lead you to stand out ahead of the recruitment pool and get you towards that interview stage. 

Consider alternatives to the online application

At times with the ease of applying to a position online, you may have your perfectly fine CV simply get lost through all the other submitted CVs. Take a more personal approach when possible and send it to people that you have met from networking events. 

You can still send it digitally to them, but then have them send it across to the talent acquisition department. It will come in as a referral and not as a standard application that will help your odds with your CV.

In the end, you want to be honest with yourself and your CV and always maintain your motivation.

The UK Careers Fair will return to events in February, starting with Manchester. The Manchester Careers Fair takes place at Britannia Hotel on Friday 3rd February, between the times of 10am-2pm. Be sure to secure your free ticket.