Top 4 Reasons You Are Not Getting Any Interview Calls

Are you applying for jobs but waiting for interview calls? You are not alone. There are many like you, who are waiting for a response from interviewers. Let’s look at the reasons why this happens and what you can do about it. 

Being aware of what is going on is the first step to fixing any issues and turning things in your favor. The job hunting process can be very tough and tedious, but by using our simple guide here, you will be able to understand the reason for the silence that follows your application and get back on track.

Our article is just what you need to gain control of and get an edge over the competition in the job market today.

Getting More Interview Calls

Here are the 4 key reasons why your job applications are not generating the response you want:

#1) You application is not focused on the role or there is a mismatch with the company’s required skill set

#2) Your resume is not passing the 10-second scrutiny

#3) Failure to do as told

#4) Reasons beyond your control

Take a look at the list given below to learn how to fix your job application problems and get more interview calls.

Reason #1) Untargeted job hunting

If I ask you “What role are you looking for?”

Will your answer be any of the following options?

• Any testing job
• Any job in the XYZ area in the IT industry in so and so pay range
• QA job
• Testing
• Test Manager or Test Lead- if you have just graduated.

Unfortunately, none of these answers are good. It just shows your lack of clarity in what you want to do.

Not being clear about what role you want to go into and without having a list of prospective employers that you want to work for means you are on a wild goose chase.

When your job application is not targeted or focused, you will end up applying for any or all of the jobs that remotely match your skills and end up getting nothing in return.

Take some time to create that self-awareness by asking the following questions:

• What level of QA am I?
• What role am I looking for? If you are shifting positions, be clear on whether you are willing to start from the bottom and start working from there? Or do you want to get the necessary training and/or certification to target a senior or mid-level role?
• What skills do you want to carry forward and what do you want to discard?
• Is there a specific company that you aspire to be a part of?
• With your skills, what are the jobs you are fit for?
• What is the primary reason for job hunting? Better pay, better role or better work location. Understand know why you are in the market.

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you narrow your choices and improve clarity, so you are not simply driving around but have a specific route to your destination.

Reason #2: Ineffective Resume

Image: Forbes

Resume writing is an important survival skill for a successful professional life.

Make sure to follow these simple rules while writing a resume:

1) Write a resume that is specifically targeted to the role you are applying for.

2) Make sure to remove the things that are not related to the current role or job you are applying for. For example: If you have taken music lessons in the past, that information need not be on the resume.

3) Keep in mind that it is not an autobiography, so make sure to include only the relevant information.

4) However, at the same time, do not feel the need to hide your gaps, age, education, GPA or anything else that you suspect are not your strong points. You don’t want to be working for people who have such narrow perspectives anyways. But the choice is yours.

If you feel strongly or don’t want to talk about some aspect of your professional life, you don’t have to put it on the resume.

5) Remember that the more experience you gain, your resume has to become proportionally shorter, only highlighting your major achievements. Portray yourself as a leader and not just a doer.

Check out Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s resume here.

6) Do not feel tempted to exaggerate or outright lie about your skills and extent of expertise.

7) Create a clean, error-free and easy to read resume. If you lack writing skills, you can read: “The Elements of Style”- by William Strunk Jr (Author).

8) Technical skills do not compensate for grammatical shortcomings. Read this: I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar

9) Maximize the use of keywords related to your field in your resume.

10) Make sure to format your data in a way that your content gets highlighted. Remember, content sells, not the format.

11) Avoid using flamboyant fonts, backgrounds, margins, headers, etc.

12) Get your resume reviewed by at least two other people in the related field. It will be better if these reviewers are not those offering free resume critiques on popular job sites. They are surely good, but they do it for a living and will always find something they could fix for you.

So a friend, a family member, a colleague or a mentor might be a better choice.

13) Include a cover letter with your resume even if it is optional. Especially if there are some things you want to explain to the recruiter and are not part of the resume.

For more tips and how-to guides on resume creation and refinement, check out the following:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Writing a Perfect Software Testing Resume (with Free Sample Resume)
• New Emerging Trends in the Job Seeking Market – Shorter Resumes
• 5 Refining Tips for A Ninja Resume – 5 Minute Resume Makeover
• How to list certifications on your resume

Reason #3: Not doing as told

While people are quirky, companies can be quite quirky too. So, in case a job application comes with a set of do’s and don’ts, it is important to follow those.

To do so, first read the job and thoroughly as well as do the following:

• If a job ad specifically says- include a cover letter telling us why you want to work with us, ignoring the message and sending just a resume is an automatic disqualifier.
• When the skills are listed as mandatory and desirable, don’t apply for the job if you do not have the mandatory skills.
• If the job application says, “If you do not live in the SFO area, don’t apply.” Don’t apply if you don’t live in San Francisco
• If a company site wants you to enter all the education and work experience details – make sure to do so. Don’t skip all the steps and simply upload your resume and expect to be called.(I know it takes too long and asks you to fill in details that you can barely recollect and it is quite boring- but this is one of the things that we have to go through if the job is important and the company is on our wish list of places we want to work)
• If you are asked not to call with inquiries- Do NOT call.

Make sure to respect the rules irrespective of how compelled you feel about your suitability for the role.

Reason #4: Sometimes, it is not you

You might do everything right, but things still might not work out. Sometimes, it is not your fault.

• A job ad might just be a way for consulting companies to understand the kind of candidates currently in the market. There might not be a real opening.
• After the job ad is posted, the company might decide not to fill that position after all for budget and some other reasons.
• The position might be filled internally, but placing the ad might be a simple formality as per the company’s process.

In any of these cases contributing to reason 4, there is nothing for us to do, but simply move on.

Do a quick diagnostic checklist:

• Are you applying for a job that fits your experience after matching the skills carefully?
• Is your resume ready to go? Spell checked, formatted and targeted to the job applied to.
• Did you include the cover letter?
• When submitting online on the job portal/site, did you fill out all the details and create your complete profile?
• If there are additional rules for the application, have you followed them all?

Lastly,

• Did you do all that you could to make this job application complete and effective?

If the answers to these questions are a YES, then rest assured you are in a good place.

Wait for the phone to ring and for the email to land in your inbox. Great things are ahead.

All the best!

Recommended reading:

• 18 Tips to Handle Any Job Interview Successfully
• Real Software Testing Interview
• How To Email A Recruiter
• Possible reasons why you are not getting hired with solutions

About the author: These tips are provided by STH team member Swati.

Thank you for reading and I hope this article was useful to you. Please share your job hunt secrets and tips with us. Let us know your feedback and questions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you. All the best!