Maybe it happened to you: you look through hundreds of advertisements every day, send dozens of CVs, check company profiles, contact recruiters… and then all you get is thanks for submitting your application and a promise that the employer will contact you later.
Every day, we see a significant increase in the number of applications for the currently open positions – with such an increase, it is impossible to invite everyone to the recruitment process. But what should you do to ensure that you never get the “We will call you“?
Lack of attention to the look of your CV
CV is the only application document on the basis of which the recruiter decides to invite you to the next stage of the recruitment process. How to create an effective CV? How would you like to be remembered by the recruiter? What effect will sending a photo of a crumpled sheet of paper give (yes, I received such a CV too)? I suspect that if you read this, you want to approach the document professionally and prepare it in a specific structure. Arranged, chronologically arranged application document is your best business card. Take care of every detail!
Remember also about the format in which you save your CV – it should be a .pdf format that can be opened on any device. Unfortunately – other formats may open incorrectly or not at all – and with a large number of applications, the recruiter may skip your CV because he has many other applications that do not require additional effort in opening them.
CV tips – individual process
Application documents, including effective CVs, should be created individually for each recruitment process. Compare the requirements sections in the job offer with how you present your experience and skills in the field. I know that this process is laborious, but it is worth showing that you really care about hiring. This does not mean that you have to change your entire CV! Just pay attention to the CV tips and correct a few key points:
- Change the name of the position and the company you are applying to. While this may seem obvious, it is easy to forget about it.
- Create a “key information” section at the beginning of your resume and bullet out information that matches the requirements in the ad and your experience or skills.
- Bold in your CV the most important information from the perspective of the position – e.g. when you apply for a position related to sales in the B2B sector and you have experience in both B2B and B2C – then highlight the information related to sales in the B2B area.
These three elements, introduced to your CV, will make sure that at first glance the recruiter will find the information they care about most. This will significantly increase the likelihood of inviting you to the next stage of recruitment!
Lack of measurement of CV effectiveness
Prepare several versions of your CV and measure its effectiveness. All you have to do is prepare a simple table in which you will save the link to the advertisement (or the name of the position and the company) and information which version of your CV has been sent to the company.
Which versions of your CV should I prepare? It is certainly worthwhile to test a CV of different structure – single and multi-card, so as to check the most diverse application documents. Then check the response rate for each version of your CV. When you are able to determine which version is the most effective, try to use it as often as possible. This will help you avoid a situation where you only hear or read “We will call you.“
Of course – such tests should be carried out periodically and do not stop at one version – it is worth taking further measurements.
Contact with the Recruiter
The moment you apply through the website of a given employer or recruitment agency, you receive an e-mail confirmation of your application. This may be the point of contact for you if you do not receive feedback on your application. If the confirmation is not provided by e-mail, you can try to find a recruiter from a given company via LinkedIn or directly on the company’s website. It is always worth making contact – then you can not only find out the status of your recruitment, but also ask for feedback on your application.
Remember, test your CV, contact the recruiters and check what works. Only duplicate working schemes! And what’s most important – do not give up on your goal!
Also read an article about job search with no experience and work life fit.
